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BR    933     .L37 

Latimer,  Robert  Sloan. 

With  Christ  in  Russia 


WITH  CHRIST  IN   RUSSIA 


"1 

'CI 


WITH    CHRIST    IN 
RUSSIA 


ROBERT    SLOAN    LATIMER 

AUTHOR    OF    "  UNDER   THREE  TSARS,"   "  DR.    BAEDEKER 

AND    HIS  APOSTOLIC  WORK   IN    RUSSIA,"   "CHARLES 

WATERS    OF  THE   I.B.R.A."    ETC. 


HODDER    AND    STOUGHTON 
NEW  YORK   AND   LONDON 


ff^if 


VrinliJ.  by  Flazell,  Watson  &  Viney,  Ld.,  London  and  Aylesbury,  Ens,land. 


PREFACE 

THE  central  figure  in  several  of  the  chapters 
in  this  work  is  Rev.  Wilhelm  Fetler  of  St. 
Petersburg,  who  greatly  facilitated  my  investiga- 
tions in  that  city,  and  who  has  been  my  welcome 
guest  on  his  visits  to  this  country.  But  it  will 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  evangehcal  awakening 
in  the  Russian  Empire  is  vastly  greater  than  the 
ministry  of  one  man,  honoured  of  God  as  he 
undoubtedly  is.  There  are  many  other  brethren 
equally  consecrated,  equally  heroic,  som.e  of  them 
veterans  in  service,  not  a  few  of  them  men  who 
have  suffered  greatly  for  Christ's  sake  in  the 
dark  and  bloody  past.  The  mention  of  one 
brother  does  not  imply  that  these  others  are 
forgotten  or  undervalued.  We  bless  God  for 
them.  We  hold  them  in  highest  honour  and 
love  for  their  work's  sake. 


vi  PREFACE 

Readers  of  my  earlier  works,  Dr.  Baedeker  in 
Russia,  and  Under  Three  Tsars,  will  be  familiar 
with  the  historical  genesis  and  the  extensive 
sweep  of  the  present  most  interesting  movement 
in  the  religious  life  of  this  great  people. 

In  these  pages  I  have  sought  to  describe  scenes 
that  took  place  under  my  own  eyes,  and  also 
the  impressions  produced  upon  my  mind  by 
what  I  saw  and  heard,  and  learned  from  various 
sources,  of  the  religious  situation  in  Russia. 

A  political  remark  of  Earl  Macartney,  am- 
bassador to  the  Russian  Court  in  1764,  may  to- 
day be  used  respecting  the  influence  upon  Europe 
and  the  world  of  the  present  Russian  spiritual 
awakening  : 

"  Russia  is  no  longer  to  be  gazed  at  as  a 
distant  glimmering  star  ;  but  as  a  great  planet 
that  has  obtruded  itself  into  our  system,  whose 
place  is  yet  undetermined,  but  whose  motions 
must  powerfully  affect  those  of  every  other  orb." 

R.  S.  LATIMER. 

Brixton, 

London.  S.W. 


CONTENTS 


I 

U*P   THE   BALTIC 


II 
WITHIN   ST.    PETERSBURG        .  .  .  .  15 


III 
WILHELM   FETLER,   EVANGELIST     .  .  .25 


IV 
EVANGELICAL  ACTIVITIES   IN   THE   CITY  .         37 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 


V 

PAGE 

PRESENTING     A     PETITION     FOR     A     SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL   MEETING  .  .  .  .         47 


VI 

THE   WINTER   PALACE   AND   ITS   TREASURES  .         57 

VII 

DUMA   MEMBERS   ASK   QUESTIONS  .  .         67 

VIII 
IN   THE   GREAT    HALL   OF   NOBEL  .  ,         'J'] 


IX 

PERILS  AND  TRAGEDIES  OF  STUDENT  LIFE      .         89 


X 

THE   DEFILEMENT   OF   HOLY   MOSCOW     .  .      lOI 


CONTENTS  ix 

XI 

PAGE 

VOICES   OF    HOLY   KIEFF  ....      II9 


XII 

A   VISIT   TO   COUNT  LEON    TOLSTOY  .  .      129 

XIII 
RUSSIAN   PRAYER    HALLS         ....      I43 


XIV 

"  LO,    HERE   IS   CHRIST,    OR   THERE  !  "  .  .      155 


XV 

SOME    RUSSIAN   SAINTS 


167 


XVI 
AWAY   SOUTH 183 


X  CONTENTS 

XV 

PAGT 

AN   EVANGELICAL   PRESS   AT   WORK         .  .      197 


XVIII 
BARONESS   VON   WREDE   OF   FINLAND     .  .      207 


XIX 

CHAINS   AND   CROSSES    TAKEN   OFF  .  .      215 


XX 

EVANGELICALISM    CHALLENGED    AND     JUSTI- 
FIED        223 


INDEX 233 


1 


UP   THE    BALTIC 


UP   THE   BALTIC 

GOD  gave  us  a  pleasant  voyage  to  Hango. 
The  Arcturus  is  a  stout  and  steady  boat 
of  the  Finland  Line,  sailing  from  Hull  and  flying 
the  Russian  flag.  Winds  and  waves  were  in- 
clined to  be  amiable,  and  we  enjoyed  bright 
sunshine  every  day. 

Rev.  W.  Fetler  makes  no  pretensions  to  being 
a  good  sailor,  and  he  therefore  prefers  the  some- 
what tedious  overland  route  to  St.  Petersburg 
via  Berlin  and  Wirballen.  But  they  who  find 
keen  pleasure  in  the  bracing  sea-breezes,  the 
delicious  quietude,  the  restful  idleness,  and  the 
interesting  companionships  of  an  ocean  voyage, 
will  do  well  to  approach  the  capital  of  Russia 
via  the  German  Ocean,  Copenhagen,  and  the 
Baltic. 

The  Danish  and  Swedish  coasts  in  the  Cattegat 
and  the  Sound  are  a  panorama  of  great  attrac- 
tiveness. Fancy  descries  the  gaunt  figure  of 
Hamlet,  prince  of  Denmark,  on  yonder  headland 
to  the  right,  in  front  of  his  castle  of  Elsinore.    The 

3 


4  UP   THE    BALTIC 

Danish  fishermen  whose  craft  you  pass  as  you 
travel  south  to  Copenhagen  harbour,  give  you 
the  cheeriest  of  greetings  in  their  own  tongue. 
The  picturesque  townships  and  humbler  hamlets 
that  nestle  among  the  low  hills  of  the  coast  appeal 
mutely  to  you  as  you  pass  to  pay  them  a  visit 
and  make  a  closer  acquaintance  with  their  quaint 
and  peaceful  loveliness.  And  when  the  night 
settles  down  and  you  return  to  the  darkened  deck 
from  dinner,  it  is  intensely  interesting  to  note 
the  gradual  approach  to  Copenhagen  harbour, 
and  the  skill  of  the  pilot  in  effecting  an  entrance. 
For  miles  before  you  reach  them  you  can  see 
across  the  waters  the  red  light  and  the  green 
light  that  mark  the  channel.  Their  faint  glow 
among  the  innumerable  hghts  along  the  coast 
and  of  the  shipping  that  twinkle  fairylike  in 
the  Sound  gradually  increases  in  brilliancy  as 
you  approach. 

There  is  just  time  for  a  run  through  the  royal 
city  of  Copenhagen,  and  a  rapid  glance  at  some 
of  its  more  interesting  features,  and  then  we  are 
out  once  more  upon  the  high  seas.  We  run 
close  to  the  Swedish  coast.  The  important  town 
of  Malmo  lies  to  the  left.  The  German  trains  are 
here  carried  across  the  Sound  between  Copen- 
hagen and  Sweden.  Presently  we  sight  the 
Falsterbo  Lighthouse,  that  marks  the  most 
southerly  limit  of  the  coast  of  Sweden,  and,  round- 


UP   THE    BALTIC  5 

ing  the  headland,  we  steam  eastward,  and  then 
northward  ;  we  are  at  last  in  the  Baltic.  The 
next  day  we  pass  the  long  low  islands  of  Oland 
and  Gothland.  Far  away  in  the  north-east 
the  faint  blue  lines  on  the  horizon  reveal  the 
islands  that  lie  off  the  Russian  coast,  our  first 
faint  view  of  that  great  empire  some  of  the  secrets 
of  which  we  shall  shortly  discover. 

A  loud  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  cabin  in 
the  early  morning  recalls  to  consciousness. 

"  You  must  get  up  at  once.  I  have  been  up 
since  four  o'clock,  and  on  the  bridge  with  the 
captain.  It  is  lovely  !  "  It  was  the  imperative 
voice  of  an  enthusiastic  young  travelling  com- 
panion. 

Leaping  at  once  out  of  the  berth  and  to  the 
porthole  light,  the  scene  outside  was  eagerly 
surveyed. 

"  We  appear  to  be  passing  along  a  low  shore, 
which  is  lightly  powdered  with  snow."  This 
to  the  passenger  who  occupied  the  other  berth 
in  the  little  cabin,  a  Finn  returning  to  his  native 
Wasa  after  years  of  absence  in  the  United 
States. 

"  Let  me  look  !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  hurried 
to  the  porthole.  "It  is  not  shore  we  see.  That 
is  ice  !  The  sea  is  frozen.  We  are  breaking  our 
course  through  it.  We  must  be  somewhere  near 
Hango." 


6  UP    THE    BALTIC 

It  was  indeed  as  he  said.  The  sight  was 
famihar  enough  to  him.  Hastening  on  deck, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  in  all  directions  except 
straight  ahead,  there  stretched  an  immense 
plain  of  ice,  comparatively  level  for  the  most 
part,  but  here  and  there  piled  up  in  rough 
masses  and  glittering  in  the  clear  air  and  the 
morning  sunshine.  In  front  in  the  distance  lay 
the  Finnish  coast.  The  Ardunis  was  steadily 
smashing  her  way  through  the  crystal  obstruction. 

"  Here  comes  the  Ice-Breaker,  cutting  a  road 
for  us  :  we  shall  get  along  more  quickly  when  we 
reach  the  open  track  of  broken  ice,"  said  the 
Finnish  passenger. 

The  Ice-Breaker,  a  strongly-built  httle  steamer, 
keeps  open,  all  the  winter  through,  a  highway 
for  vessels  entering  and  leaving  Hango  harbour. 
When  all  the  coasts  of  Finland  and  her  innumer- 
able islands  are  sealed  up  by  frost,  and  unap- 
proachable, Hango  is  kept  open  for  communica- 
tion by  sea  with  the  outer  world.  The  beautiful 
and  spacious  harbour  of  Helsingfors,  which  we 
surveyed  later  from  the  commanding  eminence, 
Observatory  Hill,  is  for  half  the  year  a  solid 
mass  of  ice.  All  the  shipping  is  just  frozen  in. 
Steamers,  and  fishing-boats,  and  pleasure-yachts, 
small  craft,  and  even  the  light-ships  brought  in 
in  the  autumn  from  the  surrounding  seas  and 
channel-waterways  among  the  islands  (for  light- 


UP   THE    BALTIC  7 

ships  are  unnecessary  when  shipping  ceases  to 
pass  to  and  fro),  are  congealed  into  one  immove- 
able block,  until  the  genial  Spring  breathes  again, 
loosens  the  frosty  grip  of  dying  Winter,  and  they 
are  again  free  for  their  brief  and  busy  summer 
service. 

What  a  charming  place  Hango  is  !  The  pine- 
tree  and  the  fir  skirt  the  beach  of  the  little  bay, 
and  nestling  among  the  trees  are  the  wooden 
dwellings,  cottages  and  villas  with  pretty  gables 
and  projecting  eaves,  all  painted  vividly  according 
to  the  wont  of  the  forest  population  of  northern 
Europe. 

From  the  train,  with  its  welcome  warmth  of 
double  windows  and  doors,  and  its  huge  stove 
in  each  carriage,  Finland  looked  like  an  inter- 
minable forest  of  firs  and  pines  and  silver-birch 
trees,  and  withal  robed  in  spotless  snow.  At 
every  station  great  stacks  of  timber  awaited 
removal,  some  of  it  by  sea  to  foreign  lands,  but 
the  greater  part  in  all  probability  for  home  con- 
sumption as  fuel. 

Logs  are  burned  in  the  aforementioned  big 
stove  in  our  railway  carriage  ;  and  however  keen 
may  be  the  frosty  air  outside  it  is  cosy  enough 
within  our  compartment.  We  stop  at  Hyvinka 
Junction.  Hyvinka  will  always  recall  pleasant 
memories.  We  breakfasted  at  the  buffet  on 
that  station  once  upon  a  time,  and  were  over- 


8  UP   THE    BALTIC 

joyed  to  discover  among  the  savoury  dainties 
that  crowd  the  free-and-easy  Finnish  smergasbord, 
a  dish  of  homely  porridge.  The  Finnish  smergas- 
bord would  need  a  book  to  itself.  It  is  the  pre- 
liminary skirmish  to  every  serious  meal ;  and 
consists  of— well,  a  little  of  anything  or  every- 
thing, cooked  and  uncooked,  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl, 
just  as  you  please,  take  where  you  like,  to  sharpen 
your  appetite  for  what  may  come  after.  There 
was  provision  for  the  mind,  too,  at  Hyvinka. 
It  was  interesting  to  observe  in  the  book  kiosk 
Finnish  translations  of  Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer's  books 
and  of  Dickens  and  a  few  other  familiar  English 
authors.  There  was  a  great  crowd  of  Russian 
marines  on  the  platform  that  morning.  They 
were  on  the  way  to  Great  Britain,  their  officer  in 
command  told  us,  to  take  over  from  the  builders, 
on  the  Clyde,  a  Russian  battleship. 

We  also  pass  through  Wiborg,  a  fascinating 
old  town  dominated  by  an  ancient  castle  on 
an  island  in  the  bay,  and  closely  girt  landwards 
by  dense  and  far-reaching  forests.  Here  is  the 
junction  for  the  far-famed  Imatra  rapids,  said 
to  be  "  the  mightiest  and  grandest  rapids  in 
Europe."  The  roar  of  the  rushing  waters  may 
be  heard  six  miles  away.  At  night  they  are 
illuminated  by  electricity.  Tourists  travel  great 
distances  to  see  this  awe-inspiring  spectacle. 
The  night  closes  around  us,  as  we  speed  swiftly 


UP   THE    BALTIC  9 

towards  the  frontier.  We  have  passed  through 
Terijoki,  the  last  station  in  Finland,  and  are 
now  slowing  down  for  the  next  stop,  Valkeasaari. 

Finland  approximates  more  to  Western  Europe 
than  to  Russia  even  in  the  matter  of  time.  On 
that  boundary  line  we  dropped  an  hour  in  a  few 
seconds,  and  we  adjusted  our  watches  accord- 
ingly. 

"  Oh,  do  come  and  look  !  "  exclaimed  our  young 
fellow-traveller,  who  was  seated  at  the  far  window 
of  the  compartment,  as  the  train  came  to  a  stand- 
still. "  There  appear  to  be  soldiers  all  along  the 
line  between  the  metals  !  " 

But  the  platform  side  presented  a  sufficiently 
engrossing  spectacle.  Uniformed  men  were  to 
be  seen  everywhere.  We  had  arrived  at  the 
frontier  station,  and  the  train  was  to  be  searched. 
A  file  of  soldiers  guarded  the  platform,  while 
their  comrades  on  the  line  prevented  the  escape 
in  the  rear  of  any  would-be  evil-doer.  This  was 
our  first  taste  of  Russia.  Four  of  the  Tsar's 
men  entered  our  compartment,  two  of  them 
officers.  Bowing  politely,  they  inquired  for  our 
passports,  after  inspecting  which  they  instructed 
their  subordinates  to  search  our  luggage.  When 
they  had  done  this  thoroughly,  the  men  examined 
the  compartment  most  carefully.  Standing  upon 
the  seats,  they  searched  with  eyes  and  hands 
the    rack    overhead.     Then    they    removed    the 


10  UP   THE    BALTIC 

seat-cushions,  and  finally  they  knelt  and  explored 
the  corners  beneath  the  seats. 

"  What  do  you  think  they  were  looking  for  ?  " 
inquired  a  Russian  gentleman  in  the  compart- 
ment, when  the  soldiers  had  retired. 

"  Spirits  or  tobacco,  I  suppose,"  I  replied. 
"  These  are  what  our  English  customs  officers 
look  for  chiefly." 

The  Russian  laughed. 

"  You  are  quite  wrong,"  he  said.  **  They  are 
searching  for  bombs.  This  is  the  road  by  which 
the  revolutionaries  bring  their  explosives  into 
the  country.  Consequently  the  tchinovniks  are 
very  much  on  the  alert.  If  you  would  like  to  see 
some  fun,  come  and  see  the  third-class  passengers 
searched." 

We  went  ;  and  enjoyed  the  rout  much  more 
than  the  sleepy  victims  did.  Two  persons,  a 
young  man  and  a  young  woman,  were  taken  to 
a  waiting-room  for  a  more  detailed  examination. 
They  looked  like  students.  They  emerged  with 
triumphant  smiles  upon  their  faces.  Then  the 
train  steamed  forward  into  the  darkness,  and 
the  Russian,  in  hesitating  English,  drew  vivid  pic- 
tures of  revolutionary  cunning  and  daring  here- 
abouts, and  of  the  efforts  of  the  authorities  to 
circumvent  their  schemes.  The  excitement  of 
the  narrations  made  our  flesh  creep.  We  cast 
fearsome  glances  towards  the  door  of  the  com- 


UP    THE    BALTIC  ii 

partment,  as  though  in  mortal  fear  that  an  armed 
desperado  might  at  any  moment  seek  refuge  with 
us  from  fierce  pursuers. 

A  British  friend  of  Mr.  Fetler's  met  us  at  the 
St.  Petersburg  station.  Glad  indeed  were  we  to 
hear  his  musical  voice  bidding  us  welcome  to 
Russia.  He  haggled  with  the  clamorous  droshky- 
drivers,  and  engaged  two  of  them.  How  swiftly 
do  these  little  conveyances  rush  forward  over 
the  cobbled  roadways,  the  horses  urged  forward 
by  the  incessant  voice  of  the  driver  !  And  the 
air,  how  clear  and  keen  it  is  ;  and  the  stars  over- 
head, how  big  and  bright  !  Now  we  are  crossing 
the  Neva  by  the  long  Alexander  Bridge.  The 
river  is  frozen  over  from  bank  to  bank,  but  the 
ice  has  ceased  to  be  safe  for  transit  across.  That 
long  line  of  glittering  lights  to  the  right  marks 
one  of  the  spacious  granite  embankments  with  its 
imposing  array  of  palaces.  We  shall  drive  past 
them  directly.  There  is  a  surprising  number 
of  people  about,  considering  that  it  is  midnight. 
The  droshkies  are  hurrying  in  all  directions. 
What  a  long  distance  it  is  to  the  Great  Morskaja  1 
No  wonder  people  wear  thick  furs  and  goloshes 
here,  it  is  so  cold.  Our  stout  British  overcoat 
seems  to  have  become  appreciably  thinner  within 
the  last  twenty  minutes. 

Here  we  are  at  last  !  The  isvostchiks  are  paid 
off,  but  linger  to  see  us  enter.     The  lazy  dvornik 


12  UP   THE    BALTIC 

or  concierge  rouses  himself  very  leisurely  to  open 
the  gate  for  us.  The  courtyard  is  dark,  and  the 
inner  door  admits  to  a  darkness  that  may  almost 
be  felt.  We  grope  our  way  in,  and  blunder  up 
an  ancient  staircase  towards  the  second  floor. 
A  light  glimmers  above  us. 

"  Welcome  to  St.  Petersburg  !  "  exclaims  a 
voice  at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  It  is  the  voice 
of  our  friend  Mr.  Fetler  ! 


WITHIN   ST.    PETERSBURG 


II 

WITHIN   ST.    PETERSBURG 

WHENCE  did  the  city  get  its  name  ?  Who 
is  the  Peter,  whose  burg  it  is  alleged  to 
be  ?— the  Apostle  Peter  ?  Not  at  all.  It  was 
not  he  but  Tsar  Peter  the  Great  who  gave  the 
name  to  the  mighty  metropolis  on  the  banks 
and  islands  of  the  Neva. 

"  But,"  you  protest  decisively,  "  Peter  the 
Great  was  no  saint  !  " 

Agreed.  Tsar  Peter  was  a  great  monarch, 
shrewd,  painstaking,  far-seeing,  of  tremendous 
energy  and  originahty.  He  was  the  maker  of 
modern  Russia.  He  has  left  his  impress  on  the 
empire  for  all  time.  But  he  could  not  truthfully 
be  called  a  *'  saint." 

"  Then  why  Saint  Peter's  burg  ?  " 

The  "  saint "  refers  not  to  the  Tsar  Peter, 
but  to  his  city.  It  is  a  sancta  urbs,  the  holy 
burg  of  Peter,  the  capital  of  the  holy  Russian 
Empire. 

At  the  same  time  that  under  our  William  III. 
15 


i6  WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG 

the  glorious  Protestant  Revolution  took  place 
in  Great  Britain,  a  mighty  social  and  economic 
revolution  took  place  in  Russia.  The  new  era 
that  brought  that  empire  so  intimately  into 
contact  with  western  Europe  demanded  as  its 
outward  and  visible  sign  a  new  city.  This  new 
city  must  be  more  accessible  to  Europe,  and  more 
in  affinity  with  the  nations  of  the  west  than 
hoary  Moscow ;  hence  Peter's  holy  burg  built 
in  stately  western  fashion  on  the  north-western 
rim  of  the  empire. 

Peter  called  the  city  his  window,  from  which 
he  could  look  out  into  Europe. 

St.  Petersburg  is  ripe  to  be  reaped  for  the  Lord 
Jesus.  The  precious  grain  is  even  falling  out  of 
the  ears.  We  cannot  forget  how  the  Redeemer 
surveyed  Jerusalem  from  the  heights  of  Olivet. 
There  are  no  hills  about  St.  Petersburg.  Stand 
upon  the  broad  entrance  steps  of  the  city  Duma, 
and  view  the  scene.  Away  to  the  right  and  left, 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  see,  runs  the  great  Nevsky 
Prospect,  the  principal  thoroughfare  of  the  city. 
This  stately  and  spacious  highway  is  filled  with 
people,  and  droshkies  (comfortable  little  con- 
veyances peculiarly  Russian),  and  electric  cars, 
and  all  the  throng  and  rush  of  the  life  of  a 
great  city.  In  the  multitude  a  monk  or  pope, 
with  long  hair  and  untrimmed  beard,  a  Chinese 
packman,  a  provincial  moujik,  and  a  surprising 


WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG  17 

number  of  men  in  various  uniforms,  make  the 
panorama  quite  un-English. 

The  city  Duma  building  is  the  Guildhall  and 
Mansion  House  of  Petersburg.  The  great  hall 
will  hold  perhaps  two  thousand  people.  There 
is  a  gallery  around  it.  The  walls  are  furnished 
with  great  mirrors  and  oil-paintings  of  the  suc- 
cessive rulers  of  the  empire  since  the  days  of 
Peter  the  Great. 

"  What  a  fine  place  for  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel !  "   you  exclaim. 

It  is ;  and  now,  for  the  first  time  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  city,  the  Gospel  has  been  preached 
in  it !  On  the  Tuesday  of  the  Russian  Easter 
week  two  years  ago  there  gathered  together  here 
the  eight  Evangehcal  Sunday-schools  of  the  city, 
upwards  of  five  hundred  children,  with  their 
teachers  and  many  friends,  to  hold  a  "  festival.'* 
The  presenting  of  the  petition  asking  permission 
to  hold  this  festival  is  another  story,  and  de- 
mands a  chapter  of  its  own.  The  programme, 
which  included  a  "  sale  of  work  "  on  behalf  of 
foreign  missions,  began  at  two  in  the  afternoon, 
and  lasted  until  nearly  midnight.  Pastor  Arndt, 
of  the  German  Baptist  Church  ;  Brother  Kargel, 
that  veteran  in  Evangelical  work  in  the  city,  who 
will  be  remembered  as  the  companion  and  inter- 
preter to  Dr.  Baedeker  in  his  first  great  journey 
across  Asia ;    Mr.   Prokhanoff,    an    enterprising 

2 


i8  WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG 

engineer  and  publisher  of  the  city,  and  other 
brethren,  took  active  part  in  the  proceedings 
of  that  eventful  day.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Fetler, 
to  whose  bold  initiative  and  perseverance  the 
gathering  was  due,  gave  a  lecture  to  the  great 
assembly  on  "  The  Resurrection  of  Christ,"  and 
Mr.  Kargel  followed  upon  the  same  subject. 
These  meetings,  in  the  chief  hall  of  the  city, 
made  a  deep  impression,  and  have  since  been 
followed  up  by  similar  efforts. 

Adjoining  the  hall,  through  one  of  the  mir- 
rored doors,  is  the  chamber  of  the  city  deputies, 
with  its  semicircular  tiers  of  seats,  in  which  the 
councillors  of  Petersburg,  under  the  chairman- 
ship of  the  chief  magistrate,  hold  their  delibera- 
tions. This  hall  has  been  generously  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  Mr.  Fetler  for  a  Gospel  service. 

We  are  out  again  in  the  Prospect.  Close  at 
hand  is  the  famous  Cathedral  of  Kazan.  Here 
beside  us  is  the  shrine  of  a  saint,  and  in  front 
of  it  is  an  eddy  in  the  ceaseless  human  stream. 
The  people  stop  to  bow  and  cross  themselves, 
or  to  enter  and  worship.  "  Seeing  the  multi- 
tudes. He  was  moved  with  compassion."  Our 
heart  goes  out  to  these  devout  souls.  The  super- 
stition distresses  us,  but  the  manifest  sincerity 
commands  our  respect,  and  the  intense  earnestness 
of  many  of  the  worshippers  fills  our  eyes  with 
tears.     Their    piety    is   beyond    question.      One 


WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG  19 

woman  falls  upon  her  knees,  and  reverently 
presses  her  brow  upon  the  cold  stones  again  and 
again.  Inside  the  small  shrine,  which  is  crowded 
with  worshippers  crossing  themselves  and  kissing 
the  holy  pictures,  the  priests  are  reading  the 
Gospels  in  an  unknown  tongue  (the  old  Slavonic), 
and  reciting  prayers.  The  sanctuary  walls  are 
bright  with  the  glitter  and  gilt  of  the  holy  pictures 
(ikons)  of  various  "saints,"  to  which  the  lips  of 
the  devout  are  pressed  in  a  ceaseless  procession. 
There  are  boys  upon  their  knees,  ladies  in  costly 
furs  and  velvets,  venerable  beggars  of  both  sexes, 
working  men,  and  men  in  uniform — a  most  mis- 
cellaneous company.  When  Paul  beheld  the 
Athenians  at  their  worship,  his  spirit  was 
stirred  in  him.  "  You  are  too  religious  !  "  he 
exclaimed. 

We  would  probably  not  say  that  of  the  Russians, 
because  the  alternative  before  them  is  so  appalUng 
— the  lust  of  the  flesh  and  atheism.  Better  far 
is  their  "ignorant  worship"  than  these.  Great 
masses  of  the  urban  population  of  Russia  have 
already  lapsed  into  infidelity  :  in  the  upper 
classes,  cynical  and  licentious  atheism  ;  in  the 
working  classes,  fierce  and  revolutionary  atheism. 
Increasing  numbers  of  people  pass  by  the  shrines 
and  make  no  sign  !  What  lies  ahead  ?  The 
people  are  devout  by  hereditary  instinct.  Is  it 
not  possible  to  win  them  in  thousands  for  the 


20  WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG 

Lord  ?  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  it 
would  be  an  easy  matter.  We  are  not  straitened 
in  Him  ! 

Let  us  turn  in  here,  and  call  upon  Mr.  Zacharoff . 
Up  the  stairs,  and  through  the  door  on  the  first 
floor,  are  his  apartments.  Mr.  Z.  F.  Zacharoff 
is  a  member  of  the  States  Duma — the  Russian 
Parliament.  He  represents  a  constituency  in 
the  Taurida  Province,  in  South  Russia,  and  this 
is  his  city  home.  He  is  the  only  Evangelical 
member  of  the  present  Duma,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  although  he  has  many  colleagues  in  the 
Duma  who  are  equally  champions  of  liberty  of 
conscience,  among  whom  are  Professor  Tagant- 
zeff.  President  Kamensky,  Mr.  Rudolf  von 
Tregmann,  and  others.  Mr.  Zacharoff  is,  how- 
ever, unique.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Molokani 
of  South  Russia,  a  shrewd,  burly,  genial,  well-to- 
do  farmer,  with  hearty  manners  and  pleasant 
voice,  and,  moreover,  an  earnest  Christian 
worker. 

Since  his  arrival  to  attend  the  Parliamentary 
sessions,  Mr.  Zacharoff  has  preached  several 
times  in  the  city  among  the  "  Evangelical  Chris- 
tians," as  many  of  the  Molokani  prefer  to  call 
themselves. 

With  his  wife  and  a  soldier  friend  from  South 
Russia  (also  a  believer),  Mr.  Zacharoff  is  seated 
at  lunch  as  we  enter  ;   but  in  a  few  minutes  the 


WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG  21 

three  reverently  rise  and  return  thanks,  and  we 
enter  into  an  animated  conversation.  He  un- 
folds with  joy  and  pride  the  plans  and  elevations 
of  the  proposed  training  college  for  pastors  and 
preachers,  to  be  built  by  the  Evangehcal  Churches 
of  South  Russia.  They  have  not  yet  received 
the  permission  of  the  authorities  to  build  the 
institution,  but  hope  to  receive  it  shortly,  and 
are  anxious  that  believers  in  England  and  America 
shall  help  them  with  funds.  The  Molokani  are 
a  homely  people,  eager  to  know  the  way  of  the 
Lord  more  perfectly,  and  to  spread  Gospel  light 
in  Russia. 

In  September  1905,  immediately  after  reli- 
gious liberty  was  granted,  this  college  was  founded 
in  Astrahanka,  Taurida  Province.  A  house  was 
generously  given,  and  fitted  up  and  furnished, 
for  the  purpose.  An  able  and  spiritual  young 
Lutheran  pastor  was  appointed  as  teacher.  This 
is  a  work  of  immense  importance  in  the  evan* 
gelisation  of  the  Empire. 

'*  I  knew  Dr.  Baedeker  well,"  he  said,  "  and 
loved  him  much.  He  was  frequently  my  guest 
during  his  visits  to  our  province.  Could  you 
not  come  south  to  confirm  the  believers  in  their 
faith,  and  preach  the  Gospel  as  he  used  to  do  ?  " 

The  writer  regretfully  shook  his  head,  a  lan- 
guage that  needed  no  interpretation. 

"  Then  perhaps  you  would  like  to  pay  a  visit 


22  WITHIN    ST.    PETERSBURG 

to  the  States  Duma.     You  will  not  understand 
our  debates,  but  the  scene  will  interest  you/* 

Thankfully  accepting  Mr.  Zacharoff's  kind 
invitation,  and  in  our  hearts  praising  God  for 
such  a  man — and  that  instead  of  toiling  in  the 
mines  of  Siberia  he  was  helping  in  the  councils 
of  the  Empire — we  took  our  leave,  and  went 
forth  once  more  into  the  fascinating  Nevsky 
Prospect,  to  visit  the  extraordinary  Lavra 
(Monastery)  at  its  extreme  end,  the  Monastery 
of  St.  Alexander  Nevsky. 

The  above  Chapter,  and  also  Chapters  IV.  and  XVII., 
are  reprinted  in  part  from  the  Christian  by  the  permis- 
sion of  the  proprietors. 


WILHELM  FETLER.  EVANGELIST 


Ill 

WILHELM  FETLER,  EVANGELIST 

A  BRILLIANT  blue  velvet  table-cover  adorns 
the  small  table  in  front  of  the  platform. 
Upon  it  rests  a  light  reading-desk,  whereon  lies 
a  Bible.  But  Pastor  Fetler  brings  to  the  meetings 
his  own  Bible,  and  hymn  and  tune-books.  There 
are  two  or  three  plain  wooden  chairs  behind  the 
table.  The  appointments  are  of  the  simplest 
character.  There  is  nothing  whatever  suggestive 
of  the  ecclesiastical.  Beside  the  small  table  is 
a  grand  piano.  The  narrow  platform  is  occupied 
by  the  choir.  The  large  room  is  packed  with 
eager  men  and  women,  nearly  as  many  standing 
as  there  are  seated. 

Is  there  a  British  counterpart  to  William 
Fetler  ?  It  is  not  easy  to  point  to  one.  He  has 
distinctive  qualities  and  idiosyncrasies.  The 
personality  most  frequently  called  to  mind,  as 
he  stood  in  front  of  his  Russian  audiences,  at- 
tracting every  eye  and  swaying  the  great  throngs, 
was  that  of  Evan  Roberts  of  Wales.  In  their 
youth,   in   the    intensity  of   their  devotion,   in 

25 


26    WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST 

their  spiritual  exultation  and  triumph,  in  their 
magnetic  fascination  of  the  multitude,  the  two 
appeared  to  be  for  a  time  alike. 

The  Russians  themselves,  but  few  of  whom 
probably  have  ever  heard  of  Evan  Roberts,  men- 
tioned another  and  a  greater  name  for  the  pur- 
poses of  comparison.  A  burly  and  genial  Russian 
seized  the  writer  rather  unceremoniously  and  with 
great  heartiness  at  the  close  of  one  of  the  meetings, 
and  after  inflicting  two  emphatic  kisses  on  the 
cheeks,  exclaimed  in  obviously  difficult  and 
explosive  English  : 

"  Brotherr-Fetlerr-Russian-Spurrgeon  !  " 
Being  encouraged  with  several  nods  of  hearty 
approval,  he  continued,  giving  one  a  tremendous 
shake  of  the  hand,  and  beaming  with  delight, 
'*  Brotherr-Fetlerr-me-converrted  !  " 
Wilhelm  Fetler  has  without  doubt  gained  the 
public  ear  in  St.  Petersburg.  He  has  been  having 
a  great  reaping  and  ingathering  season,  parti- 
cularly among  the  working-classes  of  the  city, 
since  his  arrival  in  the  summer  of  1907.  There 
appears  to  be  no  limit  to  the  willingness  of  the 
multitude  to  come  and  listen  to  the  Gospel  from 
his  lips.  The  men  will  stand  patiently  in  long 
rows  in  the  narrow  aisles  of  his  meeting-places 
for  hours,  block  up  the  doorways  and  fill  the 
ante-rooms  in  their  earnest  enjoyment  of  these 
means  of  grace  so  novel  to  them.    Nor  has  the 


WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST    27 

young  evangelist  yet  discovered  the  limits  of  his 
physical  strength  in  this  soul-stirring  service. 
He  works  night  and  day  at  high  pressure,  for  his 
parish  is  vast,  and  the  Macedonian  calls  to  come 
and  help  are  innumerable.  It  is  of  the  great 
mercy  of  God  that  he  has  not  yet  had  a  serious 
breakdown.  Certainly  he  has  some  valuable 
helpers  ;  but  he  ought  to  be  protected  against 
himself.  God  has  bestowed  a  choice  gift  upon 
Russia  in  the  person  of  this  able  Gospel  preacher, 
and  a  most  opportune  gift.  There  ought  to  be 
much  judgment  exercised  in  its  disposal,  so  that 
it  may  be  used  to  the  utmost  advantage  in  the 
service  of  our  Divine  Master. 

An  easy  familiarity  with  seven  languages  is 
one  of  Mr.  Fetler's  endowments.  He  is  able  to 
preach  fluently  in  German,  Lettish,  Russian,  or 
English.  He  can  also  read  the  classical  lan- 
guages, Greek,  Latin,  and  Hebrew.  As  an  ex- 
ample of  his  linguistic  abilities  and  his  unwearied 
activities,  take  one  Sunday's  preaching  in  St. 
Petersburg.  At  the  Lettish  morning  service, 
which  began  promptly  at  ten  o'clock,  he  inter- 
preted the  address  of  an  English  preacher  into 
Lettish  and  also  preached  in  the  same  language, 
afterwards  holding  a  conversational  meeting  for 
anxious  inquirers,  which  continued  until  i  p.m. 
There  were  about  thirty  or  forty  persons  present 
at  the  latter  meeting,  the  majority  being  men. 


28     WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST 

Every  minute  of  the  afternoon  after  a  hurried 
meal  was  taken  up  in  the  supervision  of  several 
of  his  Sunday-schools. 

The  evening  was  given  to  the  Russians.  He 
interpreted  the  addresses  of  two  English  preachers 
into  Russian,  and  then  interpreted  for  Pastor 
Kroker,  a  German  pastor  from  South  Russia, 
German  into  Russian.  He  then  delivered  an 
address  himself  in  Russian.  He  had  thus  de- 
livered four  distinct  addresses  in  one  evening, 
using  three  languages,  a  truly  remarkable  per- 
formance in  itself  ;  but  this  was  not  all.  The 
service  began  at  six  o'clock,  and  was  continued 
until  quite  late  at  night,  and  every  moment  of 
it,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  address  by 
Evangelist  Odinsoff  of  South  Russia,  the  spirit 
and  "  go  "  of  the  meeting,  humanly  speaking, 
appeared  to  be  dependent  on  him.  He  led  the 
singing  himself — notwithstanding  the  presence 
of  the  choir.  He  accompanied  on  the  grand 
piano.  He  interspersed  remarks  throughout  the 
entire  proceedings.  And  the  people  leaned  for- 
ward in  their  seats  and  hung  upon  his  utterances 
as  though  spellbound.  He  discarded  reading- 
desk  and  table,  and  stood  forth  in  the  clear,  in 
front  of  the  people,  self-forgetful,  possessed  with 
a  sense  of  the  surpassing  value  of  the  opportunity 
and  of  the  Divine  message  he  was  called  to 
proclaim. 


WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST     29 

Only  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age  !  It  seems 
incredible  that  he  is  so  youthful;  but  he  has 
had  a  wide  experience  of  life  and  has  seen  much 
arduous  and  anxious  service.  Tall,  slim,  mus- 
cular, with  black  hair  and  deep-set  penetrating 
eyes  that  flash  upon  you  through  his  glasses, 
he  is  the  embodiment  of  intelligent  decision  of 
character  and  consecrated  enthusiasm.  His  voice 
is  melodious  and  appealing,  reminding  one  of 
Gipsy  Smith's  more  pathetic  tones.  He  has  more 
animation  and  gesture  than  the  gipsy.  There 
is  much  use  of  handkerchiefs  during  the  pauses 
in  the  service.  The  people  are  moved  like  a 
cornfield  in  the  breeze.  It  is  a  sight  to  be  re- 
membered, the  wistful  emotion  upon  their  faces. 
At  certain  passages  in  the  address  the  stillness 
is  intense,  and  the  preacher's  voice  sinks  almost 
to  a  whisper.  Unquestionably  he  is  an  orator, 
artless  and  unaffected  in  the  employment  of  his 
powers,  and  natural  as  a  child,  but  possessing 
exceptional  gifts. 

When  the  people  kneel  down  to  pray — for 
although  the  hall  is  crowded,  all  fall  upon  their 
knees  in  the  approach  to  God  ;  the  Russians 
are  an  intensely  devout  people — the  effect  is 
indescribable.  Wave  after  wave  of  emotion 
thrills  the  assembly  during  the  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes  of  intercession.  There  is  no  loud  voice 
heard,  but  there  is  an  evident  eagerness  to  join 


30     WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST 

audibly  in  prayer.  Occasionally  several  voices 
will  be  heard  softly  pleading  at  one  time.  What 
does  it  matter  ?  They  are  praying  to  God,  not 
to  the  meeting.  The  tones  are  so  tender  and  so 
pathetic,  and  there  is  such  a  persistent  gentle 
undertone,  a  wail  of  yearning  desire  rising  almost 
to  a  sob,  that  the  heart  would  be  hard  indeed  that 
was  not  deeply  moved.  When  the  congregation 
arose  and  the  people  resumed  their  seats,  there 
was  an  interval  of  at  least  five  minutes  before 
they  had  composed  themselves  to  silent  attention. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  preaching  in  Russia 
is  extremely  rare  except  in  the  Lutheran  and 
Evangelical  bodies.  Gospel  preachers  are  few 
indeed  and  far  between,  "  a  handful  of  com  in 
the  earth  on  the  top  of  the  mountains."  There 
are  no  public  halls  that  may  be  engaged  for 
religious  services.  The  authorities  have  hitherto 
set  their  faces  against  all  irregular  public 
gatherings,  lest  they  should  prove  to  be  the 
media  of  revolutionist  propaganda. 

For  a  year  or  two  Mr.  Fetler  and  his  supporters 
succeeded  in  hiring  a  school-building  or  gym- 
nasium for  his  Sunday  services.  The  smaller 
class-rooms  were  useful  for  ante-rooms  and  in- 
quirers' rooms.  But  this  was  only  available  for 
the  Sunday  ;  and  even  for  these  meetings  it  was 
small  and  inconvenient,  as  are  the  premises  at 
present  occupied  as  the  mission   centre.    Not- 


WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST     31 

withstanding  these  and  other  difficulties,  a  solid 
and  enduring  work  has  been  accomplished. 

A  great  feature  of  the  meetings  is  the  inspiring 
singing.  If  the  language  of  prayer  and  address 
is  unfamiliar,  the  tunes  suggest  words  well  known, 
and  sentiments  common  to  believers  everywhere. 
"  There  is  a  better  world,'*  "  Come,  oh,  come  to 
Me,"  "  Sowing  the  seed,"  "  All  hail  the  power," 
and  other  favourites  are  sung  with  great  hearti- 
ness. The  rich  bass  of  the  men's  voices  is  very 
effective.  Mr.  Fetler  has  translated  the  *'  Glory 
Song "  and  some  other  popular  hymns  into 
Russian,  and  they  "  go  "  with  a  good  swing. 
There  is  also  a  simple  Russian  hymn  by  the  Grand 
Duke  Constantine,  "I  am  standing  at  the  door  and 
knocking,"  which  is  a  favourite  at  the  meetings. 

It  may  safely  be  said  that  there  is  never  a 
Gospel  service  held  without  conversions  resulting. 
Decision  cards  are  issued  freely  among  the  people, 
and  many  are  subsequently  returned  filled  in  by 
the  converts. 

"  Will  you  please  receive  my  card,  Mr.  Fetler  ?  " 
said  a  tall  fellow  whom  we  met  on  the  Nevsky 
Prospect  one  morning.  He  was  a  stranger  to 
the  evangelist.  He  had  evidently  been  at  one 
of  the  meetings,  had  received  blessing,  taken 
the  card  home,  filled  it  in,  and  now  seized  the 
opportunity  of  Mr.  Fetler's  passing  by  to  give  it  in. 

Some  strange  and  sad  stories  of  the  difficulties 


32     WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST 

and  dangers  encountered  by  new  converts  might 
be  told.  Two  sisters  went  to  the  meetings  and 
became  converted.  On  their  return  home  the 
husband  of  one  of  them  met  them  in  a  violent 
rage,  and  brandishing  a  knife  before  their  faces 
cried  out  : 

"  Why  do  you  try  to  introduce  a  new  religion 
into  our  home  ?  You  are  wrecking  the  peace  of 
our  family.     I  will  kill  you  both  !  " 

He  insisted  that  his  wife  should  give  him  a 
solemn  promise  that  she  would  discontinue  her 
attendance  at  the  meetings. 

"  If  you  will  promise  me  that  you  will  give  up 
drinking  vodka  I  will  promise  to  give  up  the  gospel 
meetings,"  said  the  astute  but  timorous  wife. 

The  husband  was  cornered.  It  was  not  easy 
to  surrender  the  vodka.  But  like  a  sensible  man/ 
after  deliberation  he  gave  the  required  promise, 
and  they  came  to  a  mutual  agreement. 

But  God  intervened.    Their  children  became  ill. 

"Shall  we  ask  Pastor  Fetler  to  pray  for  our  little 
ones  ?  "   she  asked  her  husband  timidly  one  day. 

"  Yes.  How  ?  Does  he  pray  to  God  about 
children  ?  "    he  inquired. 

His  wife  explained  to  him  that  many  requests 
for  prayer  were  handed  in  at  the  meetings,  and  the 
people  united  to  pray  about  the  matters  as  desired. 

"  Let  us  go  and  get  them  to  pray  for  our  sick 
children,"  said  the  husband. 


X 


WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST    33 

Together  they  went  to  Pastor  Fetler's  meeting 
and  sent  up  their  request,  and  nothing  more 
was  ever  heard  of  the  evil  of  introducing  *'  a  new 
rehgion  "  into  the  home.  But  the  vodka  was 
not  readmitted. 

"  After  the  foreign  manner,  Russian  corn  does 

not  bear  fruit,"  says  the  Russian  poet,  Poushkin, 

in  his  "  Amateur  Peasant  Girl."     But  if  an  ear 

r.f  ,x.T.^^t  from  the  Kherson  steppes,  and  another 

the  Lincoln  fens  had  been  laid  side  by  side 

.1   the   table,    it   would   have   puzzled   even 

ishkin    to    say    which    was    which.     Human 

jarts  are  more  aUke  than  ears  of  corn  ;   and  the 

x-ecords  of  saving  grace  bear  a  striking  family 

likeness,   from   whatever   quarter   of  the   world 

they  come. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  useful  of  Mr. 
Fetler's  meetings  is  the  Tuesday  evening  Bible 
School,  originally  held  in  the  ball-room  of  the 
palace  of  Princess  Lieven,  a  house  for  many  years 
past  associated  with  evangehcal  preaching  and 
Gospel  meetings.  This  Bible  School  attracts 
about  three  hundred  adults.  That  is,  the  room 
is  as  full  as  it  is  possible  for  it  to  be.  Mr.  Fetler 
uses  the  black-board,  and  the  audience  follows 
the  lesson  with  close  attention.  Many  of  the 
listeners  will  themselves  be  preachers  of  the 
word  on  the  following  Sunday,  for  the  rule  is, 
*'  Let    him    that    heareth    say    *  come.' "     This 

3 


34    WILLIAM    FETLER,    EVANGELIST 

grounding  in  the  Scriptures  is  of  the  utmost  value, 
and  it  is  a  most  auspicious  sign  that  it  occupies 
such  a  prominent  place  in  the  St.  Petersburg 
evangelical  programme. 

"It  is  abundantly  clear  that  the  people  love 
Pastor  Fetler  very  much.  Why  is  it  ?  "  This 
inquiry  was  addressed  to  one  of  the  workers. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  "  we  have  been  hun- 
gry so  long,  you  cannot  wonder  that  we  enjoy 
the  feast,  now  that  it  is  spread  for  us  and  we  sit 
down  at  the  table  1 " 


EVANGELICAL   ACTIVITIES    IN   THE 
CITY 


IV 

EVANGELICAL   ACTIVITIES    IN    THE 
CITY 

WHEN  good  Colonel  Paschkoff  and  Count 
Korff  were  banished  from  St.  Petersburg 
and  from  Russia  for  their  testimony  for  Christ, 
they  left  behind  them  an  evangelical  fire  that  has 
been  smouldering  ever  since,  and  is  now  bursting 
forth  into  flames  that  can  be  seen  throughout 
the  city,  and  the  empire. 

The  Colonel,  prior  to  his  banishment,  had 
purchased  a  plot  of  land,  and  built  what  were 
practically  mission  premises  near  his  own  resi- 
dence in  the  north-eastern  suburb  of  the  city, 
Viborgskaja.  The  Gospel  hght  has  been  shining 
steadily  in  that  quarter  ever  since.  The  house 
is  a  kind  of  temperance  cafe.  Above  are  rooms 
for  a  working-women's  club.  Mission  work  on 
social  and  industrial  lines  is  carried  on,  under 
the  direction  of  Madame  Paschkoff  and  her 
daughters,  as  in  the  days  of  the  Colonel.  Of 
course,   since  the  famous  manifesto  of  Easter, 

37 


38  EVANGELICAL    ACTIVITIES 

1905,  Gospel  meetings  are  a  more  open  and 
zealously-cultivated  feature  of  their  mission  pro- 
gramme. A  Sunday-school  is  also  held,  and  is 
well  attended. 

There  is  a  work,  in  some  respects  similar, 
carried  on  in  the  west  of  the  city,  on  Vassily 
Island,  by  Madame  Tchertkoff,  the  widow  of  a 
Russian  general,  who  personally  superintends 
the  philanthropic  and  religious  activities  that 
cluster  around  the  premises  she  herself  has  built 
for  the  weal  of  the  bodies  and  souls  of  her  Russian 
fellow  citizens. 

Then  there  is  the  work  in  Morskaja,  in  the 
house  of  Princess  Lieven,  in  the  centre  of  the 
city.  The  ball-room  and  the  white  drawing- 
room  have  at  intervals,  for  many  years,  been 
familiar  with  the  voices  of  prayer  and  praise. 
Whatever  becomes  of  the  palace  in  the  future— 
and  its  fate  is  uncertain— it  will  ever  retain  an 
historic  interest  to  Evangelical  Christians,  as 
the  "  place  where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made  " 
in  the  darkest  years  of  reaction  and  religious 
persecution  in  the  Russian  Empire.  Here  have 
been  entertained  some  of  the  saintliest  men  in 
Europe— George  Miiller,  Lord  Radstock,  Dr. 
Baedeker,  Reginald  Radcliffe,  and  other  like- 
minded  servants  of  the  Lord— who,  in  these 
stately  apartments,  have  preached  the  Word  of 
Life  to  aristocrat  and  plebeian  without  distinction. 


IN   THE    CITY  39 

The  little  flock  of  "  Evangelical  Christians,'* 
as  they  prefer  to  call  themselves,  in  St.  Peters- 
burg is  practically  shepherded  by  Mr.  Kargel, 
a  veteran  in  the  King's  service,  held  in  honour 
by  all  for  the  quiet  and  fervent  witness  of  his 
life  to  the  Gospel  he  preaches.  Mr.  Kargel  was 
at  one  time  pastor  of  the  German  Baptist  Church 
in  the  city.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Poland, 
to  take  charge  of  a  Baptist  church  in  that  country. 
Then,  at  the  invitation  of  Colonel  Paschkoff, 
he  returned  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  has  been 
labouring  in  that  city  as  opportunity  offered 
and  with  much  circumspection  ever  since.  In 
addition  to  the  meetings  held  on  the  Lord's  Day, 
he  is  the  leader  of  a  well-attended  service  held 
every  Wednesday  evening  in  Morskaja. 

The  Episcopahan  residents  in  the  city  are  in 
the  diocese  of  the  Bishop  of  London  ;  the  Con- 
gregationalists,  including  the  American  Ambas- 
sador and  his  suite,  are  ministered  to  in  a  very 
comfortable  chapel.  A  veteran  in  the  service 
of  the  Lord,  in  the  Congregational  ministry  in 
St.  Petersburg,  is  Rev.  James  Key,  who  recently 
celebrated  the  jubilee  of  his  ministry.  His 
labours  have  been  among  the  British  and 
American  representatives  of  industry  and  com- 
merce, of  whom  there  were  at  one  time  great 
numbers  in  the  quarter  of  the  city  engaged  in 
shipbuilding  and  other  industrial  pursuits.     Of 


40  EVANGELICAL   ACTIVITIES 

late  the  English-speaking  residents  have  con- 
siderably decreased,  owing  to  political  unrest 
and  commercial  stagnation.  Mr.  Key  has  ren- 
dered long  and  faithful  service  to  the  cause  of 
God  in  Russia. 

The  Baptists,  also,  for  many  years  have  been 
represented  in  the  city.  But  they  have  laboured 
under  the  great  disadvantage  of  not  possessing 
even  one  building  of  their  own,  although  they 
have  four  churches — the  German,  Esthonian, 
Lettish,  and  Swedish.  They  have  all  until 
recently  worshipped  in  one  large  room  or  hall ; 
and  Pastor  Arndt,  the  pastor  of  the  German 
Church,  has  had  his  apartments  under  the  same 
roof.  There  are,  however,  many  disadvantages 
in  the  occupation  of  hired  premises — to  say 
nothing  of  the  serious  inconveniences  of  over- 
crowding, consequent  upon  the  occupation  by 
four  churches  of  one  preaching-room.  Pastor 
Arndt  has  bravely  struggled  against  many  diffi- 
culties, and  with  a  fair  measure  of  success,  to 
sustain  the  Baptist  interest  among  these  nation- 
alities in  St.  Petersburg. 

In  the  year  1907  the  Lettish  Baptist  Church 
invited  Rev.  W.  Fetler  to  the  pastorate,  and  it 
has  since  enjoyed  a  period  of  much  prosperity. 

It  will  be  remembered,  however,  that  these 
several  churches  have  had  no  liberty  till  recently 
to  evangelise  among  the  Russians.     Prior  to  the 


IN    THE    CITY  41 

Tsar's  manifesto  of  Easter,  1905,  no  Russian 
might  leave  the  Greek  Orthodox  Church  ;  and, 
indeed,  the  Congregational,  Episcopal,  and  other 
foreign  churches  that  own  buildings  in  the  city 
hold  their  premises  and  the  permit  to  worship 
in  them  on  the  precise  condition  that  they 
shall  make  no  attempt  to  proselytize  among  the 
Greek  Orthodox  subjects  of  the  Tsar.  Hence 
*'  missions,"  Evangehcal  or  otherwise,  have 
been  until  the  last  few  years  unknown. 

When  this  fact  is  borne  in  mind,  the  magnitude 
of  the  change  that  has  come  upon  Russia  will 
be  appreciated  by  Western  Christians.  With 
the  loosening  of  the  spiritual  fetters  that  have 
been  worn  for  ages,  have  come  new  possibilities 
for  Evangelical  enterprises  over  the  land,  and 
particularly  among  what  may  be  called  the 
"  border  races."  But  it  must  also  be  remem- 
bered that  even  yet  proselytism  from  the  Russian 
Church  is  an  offence  against  the  law.  Although 
the  individual  is  free  to  leave  the  national  com- 
munion, he  who  persuades  him  to  do  so  is  yet 
in  peril.  Therefore  it  is  scarcety  to  be  wondered 
at  if  the  broadcast  scattering  of  the  Gospel  seed 
is  even  now  upon  quite  a  limited  scale.  When 
the  Duma  has  amended  the  law  in  this  particular, 
as  it  is  hoped  it  soon  will  do.  Christian  workers 
in  Russia  will  breathe  more  freely. 

Among  the  foremost  to  engage  in  the  evan- 


42  EVANGELICAL   ACTIVITIES 

gelistic  campaign  with  their  accustomed  fervour 
and  enterprise  are  the  Methodists.  The  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  of  America,  by  its  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions,  has  put  its  hands  to  a  great 
work  among  the  130  milhons  of  Russia.  The  glory 
of  Methodism  is  that  it  is  a  "  Revival  "  Church, 
and  it  thinks  it  sees  an  opportunity  to-day  in 
the  dominions  of  the  Tsar.  In  the  summer  of 
1907,  Bishop  Burt,  the  general  superintendent  of 
the  M.E.  Church  in  Europe,  visited  St.  Peters- 
burg for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  mission  in 
that  city.  On  November  3  the  first  society 
was  organised ;  candidates  for  the  work  of 
deaconesses  are  coming  forward  for  training, 
and  a  hopeful  movement  is  progressing  under 
the  care  of  Rev.  G.  A.  Simmons.  The  Russian 
meetings  (as  distinct  from  the  Finnish  and 
Swedish)  are  held  at  the  residence  of  the  pastor. 

Pastor  Fetler  has  entered  upon  what  promises 
to  be  a  great  work  among  the  Russians  proper 
as  we  have  already  seen. 

A  happy  feature  is  the  generous  and  har- 
monious co-operation  of  these  various  Evangelical 
efforts.  It  is  good  and  pleasant  always  when 
brethren  dwell  together  in  unity  ;  but  in  St. 
Petersburg,  where  so  great  a  field  is  to  be  reaped 
for  the  Lord,  this  spirit  of  oneness  is  doubly 
desirable. 

There   is   a   vigorous   Young   Men's   Christian 


IN   THE    CITY  43 

Association  in  St.  Petersburg.  The  secretary 
is  a  Lutheran,  Pastor  H.  Ferhmann.  It  is  open 
to  all  young  men  without  distinction  of  creed, 
but  a  considerable  membership  is  drawn  from 
the  Lutheran  churches.  It  is  affiliated  with  the 
Y.M.C.A.  World  AUiance  in  Geneva. 

There  is  another  and  even  more  interesting 
Y.M.C.A.  development  authorised  by  the  Holy 
Synod,  the  Miyak  (Lighthouse).  It  cannot  be 
included  among  evangelical  operations,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  actively  supported  by  the  Greek  clergy, 
and  exists  mainly  for  young  men  of  the  Orthodox 
faith.  The  Miyak  is  a  most  valuable  agency. 
It  was  founded  by  the  generosity  of  an  American 
philanthropist,  Mr.  James  Stokes  of  New  York, 
who  has  proved  a  true  friend  to  young  men  in 
Paris,  Berlin,  and  other  cities.  Mr.  Franklin 
Gaylord  (formerly  of  Paris)  is  secretary.  He  has 
show^n  himself  a  judicious  counsellor  and  leader 
of  young  men.  The  meetings  for  prayer  and  Bible 
study  attract  very  large  attendances.  The  moral 
and  spiritual  tone  of  the  Miyak  is  excellent. 

Here  are  a  few  testimonies  to  its  value  recently 
received  by  the  Council,  from  members  : 

"  How  easy  it  is  for  us  young  men  to  plunge 
into  the  wickedness  of  the  life  which  surrounds 
us,  where  there  is  hardly  a  glimmer  of  that  which 
is  noble  and  uplifting.  Crowded  cities  are  full 
of  temptations.     The  Miyak  opens  to  us  a  whole 


44  EVANGELICAL   ACTIVITIES 

world  of  bright  ideals.  .  .  .  The  Miyak  trans- 
forms us,  hushing  all  that  is  unworthy  within  us 
and  feeding  our  hungry  souls  with  that  which  is 
reasonable,  good,  and  eternal." 

"  Thanks  to  the  religious  talks  of  the  differ- 
ent priests,"  another  wrote,  "  I  have  a  pretty 
thorough  understanding  of  Christianity." 

"  With  what  joy  do  I  run,"  is  the  vivacious 
confession  of  a  third,  "  when  I  hear  my  sick  father 
say,  '  I  am  better  ;  you  may  go  to  your  beloved 
Miyak,*  I  take  my  cap  and  run  down  the  stairs 
fastening  my  coat  as  I  go." 

"  Miyak,  it  is  my  life  !  "  exclaims  a  fourth. 
"  Miyak,  the  name  alone  speaks  for  the  building. 
It  is  a  shelter  in  time  of  storm,  an  escape  from 
the  reefs  and  whirlpools  of  life,  that  are  so  difficult 
for  the  young  and  inexperienced  to  avoid.  .  .  . 
I  bless  the  name  of  him  who  had  the  idea  to 
organize  the  society  here  !  " 

This  institution  will  undoubtedly  exercise  a 
great  influence  for  good  upon  hundreds  of  Russian 
youths  ;  producing  for  the  empire  intelligent, 
high-minded,  devout,  and  honourable  citizens. 
The  work  among  students  will  be  referred  to  in 
a  later  chapter. 


PRESENTING   A   PETITION   FOR   A 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL   MEETING 


PRESENTING   A    PETITION    FOR   A 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL   MEETING 

THE  city  Duma  has  granted  us  the  great 
haU  of  the  city  for  our  Sunday-school 
Demonstration,"  said  Mr.  Fetler,  one  morning, 
during  our  stay. 

"  Another  new  departure  ?  "    I  suggested. 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  An  evangehcal  meeting  in  the 
city  Duma — think  of  it  !  The  hall  is  a  splendid 
building,  seating  two  thousand  people." 

"  What  Sunday-schools  have  you  ?  " 

'*  Eight ;  including  the  *  Evangelical  Chris- 
tians,' and  the  German,  Lettish  and  Russian 
Baptists.  We  have  fixed  the  Demonstration 
for  Easter  Tuesday  if  we  can  get  permission." 

"  Permission  !  "  I  echoed.  "  You  have  se- 
cured the  hall  :  what  further  permission  do  you 
need  ?  " 

"  To  obtain  the  hall  from  the  city  Fathers  is 
the  first  step,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile.     *'  But 

47 


48  PRESENTING    A    PETITION 

we  may  not  hold  a  meeting  without  the  consent 
of  the  poUce.  I  am  now  going  to  hand  in  my 
petition." 

"  Your  petition  !  "  I  again  echoed.  *'  What 
is  that  ?  " 

"  Our  appUcation  must  be  sent  in  as  a  written 
petition,  bearing  a  stamp  of  the  value,  in  this 
case,  of  a  rouble  and  a  half.  My  request  will 
then  be  laid  before  the  Vice-Governor.  They 
are  usually  most  courteous  to  me." 

The  house  of  the  Governor  of  St.  Petersburg, 
the  headquarters  of  the  police,  is  the  nerve-centre 
of  information,  and  the  muscle  of  power  in  the 
city.  It  is  quite  unhke  our  "  Scotland  Yard." 
Our  police  are  the  affable  and  ready  servants  of 
the  public — ever  wiUing  to  aid  everybody  who 
needs  assistance.  In  St.  Petersburg  the  police 
are  not  the  servants  of  the  public,  but  the  masters. 

Here,  in  the  Governor's  house,  is  the  ear  that 
listens,  through  ubiquitous  agents,  to  conver- 
sations everywhere  ;  here  is  the  eye  that  pene- 
trates all  secrets  ;  here  is  the  will  that  controls 
this  spacious  city  of  palaces,  either  by  document, 
or,  if  need  be,  by  rush  and  rattle  of  Cossacks. 
Civilian  St.  Petersburg  lies  enmeshed  in  a  gigantic 
spider's  web. 

The  scenes  in  the  petitions-ofhce  of  the  Gover- 
nor's House  are  to  a  stranger  very  interesting. 
The  room  is  upon  the  ground  floor,  but  so  low  is 


FOR    A    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    MEETING    49 

the  ceiling  and  the  apartment  is  so  badly  lighted 
and  ventilated  that  it  is  difficult  to  dispel  the  im- 
pression that  you  are  in  a  dingy  basement.  There 
are  apartments,  lofty,  spacious  and  luxurious  in 
the  building,  but  they  are  upstairs  and  reserved 
for  more  personal  use. 

The  petitions-office  is  crowded  with  a  diverse 
multitude.  From  a  ticket  window  now  and  again 
a  name  is  called,  and  somebody  is  surprised  and 
relieved  to  discover  that  he  is  being  attended 
to;  otherwise  the  variegated  mob  loiters  list- 
lessly in  the  waiting-room  hour  after  hour. 

At  a  long  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room  several 
are  apparently  composing  their  petitions.  Some 
are  in  trouble  because  they  have  lost  their  in- 
dispensable passport — a  common  case,  and  very 
serious  ;  others  have  become  involved  with  the 
authorities  over  taxation  or  some  breach  of  the 
regulations  ;  and  others  again  are  pleading  for 
a  friend  or  relative  who  is  most  likely  lying 
in  some  prison  ignorant  alike  of  his  offence 
or  his  accuser.  A  swarthy  son  of  Caucasia  is 
committing  his  wishes  to  paper  with  obvious 
difficulty.  He  is  most  likely  submitting  a  plan 
for  reaching  his  far-distant  mountain  home. 

These  thronged  waiting-rooms,  and  the  more 
luxurious  apartments  upstairs,  were  clearly  quite 
familiar  to  Mr.  Fetler.  He  appeared  to  be 
obliged  to  spend  a  large  proportion  of  his  time 

4 


50  PRESENTING    A    PETITION 

in  waiting  upon  officials  either  in  the  city  Duma, 
or  in  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior,  or  here  in  the 
pohce  headquarters  ;  and  for  the  most  part  asking 
leave  to  do  this  or  that. 

"  I  must  give  full  particulars,"  said  he,  as  he 
sat  down  to  write.  They  had  allowed  us  to  go 
upstairs  to  one  of  the  less  public  ante-rooms. 
On  a  sheet  of  foolscap  (stamped)  he  wrote  his 
modest  proposals.  There  w^ould  be  about  five 
hundred  children  at  their  forthcoming  festival, 
with  their  parents  and  friends.  It  was  intended 
that  in  the  afternoon  the  children  should  sing  a 
few  hymns,  recite  portions  of  Scripture,  and  hear 
a  short  address.  This  would  be  followed  by  a 
small  "  sale  of  work  "  in  aid  of  foreign  missions. 
The  children  had  made  and  collected  articles  for 
this  sale.  In  the  evening  a  public  lecture  would 
be  delivered  by  himself  (to  a  crowded  assembly, 
without  a  doubt),  on  the  Resurrection  of  Christ. 
That  was  all !     He  wrote  it  all  down. 

We  called  the  next  day  to  learn  the  result. 
After  a  long  wait,  a  uniformed  tchinovnik 
(official)  appeared  and  pointed  out  certain  irre- 
gularities in  the  composition  of  the  petition.  It 
must  be  re-written. 

Mr.  Fetler  patiently  sat  down  and,  cutting 
out  the  stamp  (value  a  rouble  and  a  half),  attached 
it  to  another  form,  and  began  anew. 

The  day  following  we  called  again,  but  there 


FOR    A    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    MEETING    51 

was  no  message  for  us.      On  our  next  visit  a 
tchinovnik  desired  further  explanations. 

"  What  hymns  will  your  children  sing  ?  You 
must  furnish  us  with  copies  of  them.  The  sale 
of  work,  too— we  shall  require  a  separate  petition 
for  this  function." 

It  is  not  recorded  that  they  inquired  whether 
the  children  proposed  to  expose  bombs  or  dyna- 
mite-in-bulk  for  sale.  But  the  tchinovniks  were 
plainly  on  their  guard  against  every  eventuahty, 
and  resolved  to  bravely  face  the  very  worst. 

I  did  not  personally  see  the  end  of  this  comedy. 
But  Mr.  Fetler's  account  of  it  in  a  private  letter 
is  naive  and  interesting  : 

"  In  spite  of  my  two  re-written  petitions  the 
authorities  were  suspicious  ;  and  when  the  last 
day  of  preparation  for  the  Festival  arrived,  and 
I  had  no  reply,  I  went  to  inquire  again.  The 
thing  was  put  off  again  till  the  Vice-Governor's 
reception  time  ;  but  I  insisted  to  the  chief  secre- 
tary that  I  must  have  the  document  of  permission 
at  once.  Before  I  went  to  the  Vice-Governor  I 
had  gone  to  God,  and  asked  in  faith  that  He  would 
not  let  me  return  without  the  authorization.  So 
when  I  insisted  upon  my  having  it,  the  chief 
secretary  began  to  question. 

Why  do  you  seek  to  hold  your  meeting  in 
the  very  centre  of  the  city  ?  Why  did  you  ask 
for  the  Duma  Hall  ?  ' 


52  PRESENTING    A    PETITION 

*'  I  explained  to  him  how  convenient  it  was  for 
children  coming  from  all  parts  of  St.  Petersburg  ; 
and  invited  him  also  to  be  present.  He  then 
handed  me  my  petition,  and  I  went  straight  up 
to  the  Vice-Governor,  whom  you  saw.  He  was 
very  kind,  but  asked  questions. 

"  *  Will  there  not  be  Greek  Church  people 
present  ?  Could  you  not  sing  hymns  of  the 
Greek  Orthodox  Church  ?  ' 

** '  It  is  to  be  a  Protestant  meeting,'  I  an- 
swered. *  We  shall  sing  the  hymns  translated 
from  the  English.' 

"  He  then  took  my  petition  and  wrote  on  it 
Permitted,  and  wished  me  all  success.  Still  the 
smaller  tchinovniks  kept  me  two  hours  more 
until  I  got  the  permit  in  black-and-white.  I 
went  glad  away.  The  *  Sale  of  Work '  was  per- 
mitted also  ;  and  when  I  had  almost  lost  hope 
of  getting  this  permit  (for  the  Governor's  ofhce 
was  closed  for  three  days  on  account  of  the  feast 
of  Easter)  on  Sunday,  the  secretary  of  our  police 
personally  brought  this  document  to  my  house. 
It  was  all  a  great  success.     O  Lord,  revive  us  !  " 

On  another  occasion  we  went  to  pay  respects 
to  the  Vice-Governor  as  visitors  from  a  friendly 
country. 

The  process  of  access  to  the  presence  of  the 
Vice-Governor  occupied  exactly  two  hours.  This 
time  was  spent  in  being  passed  from  the  lower 


FOR    A    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    MEETING   53 

ante-rooms  to  the  upper  ;  and  in  being  curiously 
scrutinized  by  many  uniformed  gentlemen  in  the 
successive  apartments  through  which  we  passed. 

A  lady  in  the  party  carried  in  her  hand  an 
innocent  muff.  She  was  stopped  when  half  way 
up  the  stairs  by  cries  of  "  Moofti,  moofti !  " 
from  below. 

"  You  must  leave  your  muff.  I  will  take  it 
down  to  them,"  explained  Mr.  Fetler. 

"  Why  ?  "   we  inquired. 

Mr.  Fetler  smiled.  Muffs  have  been  known 
to  conceal  deadly  revolutionary  weapons.  No 
risks  are  taken  in  the  house  of  the  Governor. 

We  found  the  Vice-Go vernor,  M.  Lisogorsky, 
a  very  courteous  and  amiable  gentleman,  who 
received  us  with  much  geniality. 

"  Have  you  called  upon  the  Metropolitan 
Antonius  ?  "   he  inquired. 

We  replied  that  lack  of  time,  not  lack  of  good 
will,  had  prevented  our  making  the  necessary 
arrangements. 

It  was  explained  that  we  were  deeply  interested 
in  the  new  liberties  enjoyed  in  Russia  in  religious 
matters.  This  point  was  pressed  home  in  view 
of  the  dictum  of  Baron  Uexkiill — **  The  poHce 
in  Russia  are  mightier  even  than  the  law." 

The  Vice-Governor  smiled,  and  assured  us  he 
was  anxious  to  do  all  he  could  for  the  Dissenters 
consistently  with  the  public  interests. 


54  PRESENTING    A    PETITION 

"  The  people  who  love  the  Word  of  God,  and 
live  according  to  its  teachings,  will  give  the 
Government  little  trouble,"  we  assured  him. 
**  There  are  no  dangerous  revolutionaries  among 
these  people." 

He  agreed  that  this  was  so,  as  far  as  they  had 
had  experience.  ''  But  Russia  is  not  England, 
and  we  must  be  cautious." 

"  You  have  betrayed  us  !  "  cried  Mr.  Fetler  in 
English,  as  we  descended  the  handsome  marble 
staircase. 

''  How  so  ?  "    I  inquired  anxiously. 

''  The  pohce  observed  you  glancing  through 
a  Russian  newspaper  while  waiting  for  the  inter- 
view. They  challenged  me  just  now  as  to  your 
being,  as  I  alleged,  an  English  pastor.  You 
should  not  have  disclosed  to  them  that  you  could 
read  Russian.     You  aroused  alarm  instantly." 

Our  laughter  startled  the  lower  stratum  of 
tchinovniks  on  duty  below.  Mirth  is  rarely 
heard  in  these  regions.  The  lady  received  back 
her  guilty-looking  muff,  we  shuffled  into  our 
Russian  goloshes  and  passed  out. 

There  is  a  saying  that  the  three  gods  most 
zealously  worshipped  in  Russia  are  Tehee  (cab- 
bage soup),  Tchi  (tea),  and  Tchin  (rank).  Verily 
the  greatest  of  these  is  Tchin  ! 


THE   WINTER   PALACE   AND    ITS 
TREASURES 


VI 

THE   WINTER   PALACE   AND    ITS 
TREASURES 

OUR  decision  to  seek  permission  to  visit 
the  Winter  Palace  and  explore  its  vast 
magnificence  was  taken  at  the  conclusion  of  a 
preaching-service  in  the  salon  of  a  member  of 
the  St.  Petersburg  aristocracy.  By  personal 
invitations  scattered  broadcast  among  the  friends 
of  the  hostess,  a  considerable  assembly,  which 
included  several  persons  of  title,  had  gathered, 
and  I  had  been  invited  to  address  them.  An 
agreeable  feature  was  that  everybody  present 
could  speak  English  as  fluently  as  Russian. 

"We  go  to  the  Winter  Palace,"  said  Mr. 
Fetler. 

"  We  also  go  with  you,"  responded  two  others 
of  the  company. 

As  the  deep,  sweet  bells  of  St.  Isaac's  Cathedral 
near  by  sounded  eleven  o'clock  on  the  following 
morning  the  five  of  us  were  on  our  way  to  the 
Imperial  abode. 

57 


58  THE   WINTER    PALACE 

"  We  had  better  leave  the  footpath  and  walk 
in  the  road,"  said  Mr.  Fetler,  as  we  approached 
the  first  of  the  sentries.  **  It  may  be  dangerous 
otherwise." 

We  British  could  see  no  danger,  and  continued 
to  approach  the  palace  upon  the  paved  side-walk, 
the  rough  cobbles  of  the  street  being  by  no  means 
inviting.  We  had  not  proceeded  much  farther, 
however,  before  the  loud  shouting  and  peremp- 
tory gesticulations  of  the  military  in  front  of  us 
made  us  halt. 

"  You  must  come  quickly  off  into  the  road," 
cried  our  conductor,  "  or  they  may  fire  at  you." 

We  obeyed  promptly.  It  was  explained  that 
M.  Stolypin,  the  Russian  Premier,  occupied  a 
suite  of  rooms  in  the  palace  ;  and  they  were 
careful  to  prevent  the  approach  of  strangers,  lest 
they  might  be  revolutionaries  with  nefarious 
designs. 

"  See  !  A  member  of  his  family  is  going  out 
for  a  drive."  He  pointed  to  a  carriage  in  waiting 
at  one  of  the  entrances,  guarded  by  a  company  of 
soldiers.  *'  It  may  be  his  poor  crippled  daughter, 
whose  feet  were  blown  off  by  the  bomb  that  was 
designed  to  compass  her  father's  destruction." 

At  the  central  gateway  of  the  palace  Mr.  Fetler 
accosted  an  officer,  and  explained  that  visitors 
from  England  would  like  to  see  the  palace. 

"  I  will  at  once  telephone  to  the  secretary," 


AND    ITS   TREASURES  59 

he  replied  most  affably.  It  should  be  mentioned 
that  the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  the  officials 
towards  English  visitors  left  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired. Always  in  the  city  the  magical  words 
"  from  England "  brought  the  genial  smile  to 
the  face  and  expressions  of  cordial  good-will 
to  the  lips.  They  were  an  "  open  sesame  "  prac- 
tically everywhere.  It  was  so  here.  In  a  few 
minutes  an  officer  in  resplendent  uniform  ad- 
vanced, and,  bowing,  said  hesitatingly  : 

**  I — also — speak — a  little — English,"  adding, 
"  I  will — write — for   you — an    order — at  once." 

While  awaiting  its  arrival  we  looked  around. 
The  front  of  the  great  palace  faces  a  large  open 
space,  in  the  centre  of  which  towers  the  lofty 
column  on  which  is  the  statue  of  the  Tsar 
Alexander  I.  The  column  is  the  largest  of  the 
enormous  monoliths  for  which  St.  Petersburg 
is  famous.  This  single  block  of  granite  is  84  ft. 
in  height,  and  weighs  about  400  tons.  On  the 
far  side  of  the  open  space,  facing  the  palace,  is 
a  semicircle  of  Government  buildings,  which, 
like  the  palace  and  all  other  palaces  and  Govern- 
ment buildings  in  the  city,  are  painted  a  reddish- 
brown  colour,  to  distinguish  them  from  all  other 
structures  in  this  city  of  palaces. 

What  scenes  have  been  enacted  within  this 
great  space  !  From  under  this  central  archway 
rode  the  Empress  Catherine  II.  to  place  herself 


6o  THE    WINTER    PALACE 

proudly  at  the  head  of  her  army.  Here,  on  that 
awful  Sunday  in  January  1905,  the  blood  of 
hundreds  of  workmen  and  their  women-folk 
soaked  down  between  these  cobble  stones.  The 
place  looked  peaceful  and  pleasant  enough  as 
we  viewed  it  in  the  bright  sunshine. 

Space  would  fail  to  tell  of  all  the  magnificence 
unfolded  to  our  astonished  eyes  as  we  passed 
from  hall  to  hall  through  this  extraordinary 
building.  There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  its  vast 
reception-rooms,  each  more  splendid  than  that 
we  had  just  quitted,  until  we  arrived  in  the  Golden 
Guest-room,  which  reminded  us  of  the  famous 
Galerie  des  Glaces  in  the  Palace  of  Versailles,  in 
that  it  appeared  to  have  exhausted  the  resources 
of  wealth  and  art  in  its  dazzling  embellishment. 
The  two  halls  have,  however,  nothing  else  in 
common. 

The  Hall  of  St.  George  (the  patron  saint  of 
Russia)  was  of  interest  because  it  was  here  that 
the  present  Tsar  opened  the  first  Russian  Parlia- 
ment, in  May  1906.  Here  is  the  throne  upon 
which  he  sat  on  that  historic  occasion.  It  is 
significant  of  the  contrast  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, that  in  England  the  monarch  goes  to  the 
Parliament  House,  but  in  Russia  the  Duma 
members  went  to  the  monarch  for  the  "  opening  " 
of  their  session. 

We  walked  through  the  halls  containing  the 


AND    ITS    TREASURES  6i 

gold  plates  and  salt-boxes,  the  loyal  gifts  of  the 
provinces  to  the  successive  Emperors  on  their 
coronation.     These  are  artistically  arranged  upon 
the  walls.     Many  of  them  are  of  pure  gold,  ex- 
quisitely chased  and  engraved  ;  others  are  charm- 
ing specimens  of  the  enameller's  art;    and  all 
are   of   great   value.     The   enormous   collection 
of  them  fills  one  with  astonishment.     It  is  the 
custom  at  the  crowning  ceremony  for  representa- 
tives of  each  province  to  step  forward  and  hand 
the  Tsar  a  golden  plate  containing  bread,  and  a 
golden  box  containing  salt,  of  which  they  partake 
together   in   token    of    fealty.     The   plates    and 
boxes,  decorated  with  the  arms  of  the  city  or 
province,  remain  the  property  of  the  Tsar. 

We  were  shown  the  palace  church  by  a  monk. 
Here  also  are  set  forth  material  treasures  of 
fabulous  value  and,  it  must  also  be  admitted, 
verbal  details  of  valueless  fable.  Among  the 
latter,  a  relic  prized  by  the  faithful  Orthodox 
is_or  was— a  sacred  tooth.  This  venerable 
object  was  once  shown  to  a  lady  friend  of  ours, 
who  lives  in  the  city. 

"  This,"  said  the  ecclesiastic,  "  is  the  tooth  of 
Saint  Peter  and  Paul." 

"  Which  ?  "   she  inquired. 

"Saint  Peter  and  Paul,"  he  repeated,  with 
decision. 

"  Which  of  the  two— Peter  or  Paul  ?     It  can- 


62  THE    WINTER    PALACE 

not  have  grown  in  both  their  heads,"  she  asked, 
with  awakening  interest. 

The  monk  was  greatly  embarrassed.  He  had 
been  all  his  life  so  accustomed  to  associate  the 
two  names  together  (they  are  almost  invariably 
thus  united  in  Russia)  that  it  had  never  occurred 
to  him  that  they  were  the  names  of  two  distinct 
individuals,  and  the  revelation  was  like  an  electric 
shock. 

The  relic  that  particularly  struck  us  was  the 
hand  of  John  the  Baptist.  It  is  withered  and 
black,  of  course,  but  is  one  of  the  most  venerated 
treasures  of  the  church  in  the  palace. 

From  thence  we  were  conducted  to  the  apart- 
ments that  were  in  their  associations  the  most 
interesting  and  pathetic  of  all— the  private  rooms 
of  the  Tsar  Alexander  II.  This  Emperor  covered 
his  name  and  his  reign  with  imperishable  glory 
by  his  emancipation  of  the  twenty-three  millions 
of  serfs  in  1861.  The  valet  of  the  deceased  mon- 
arch was  in  attendance,  and  reverently  pointed 
out  to  our  sympathetic  eyes  the  many  articles 
closely  associated  with  his  master.  Here  was  the 
table  around  which  sat  the  Council  of  Ministers 
when  the  emancipation  ukase  was  discussed ; 
here  the  chair  in  which  sat  the  Imperial  liberator 
when  he  signed  the  great  decree.  On  the  wall 
of  the  adjoining  library  hangs  the  well-known 
picture  of  the  three  Tsars— Vladimir,  who  gave 


AND    ITS   TREASURES  63 

the  Russians  Christianity  ;  Peter  the  Great,  who 
gave  them  modern  civihsation  ;  and  Alexander  II., 
who  gave  them  hberty. 

We  stepped  softly  into  the  next  apartment 
as  though  we  were  intruding  upon  the  awful 
death  scene.  Hither  they  carried  his  poor 
mangled  body — he  was  still  alive — after  the 
cruel  bomb  had  done  its  horrible  work.  Here 
is  the  simple  little  bed,  his  ordinary  nightly 
resting-place,  on  which  they  laid  him  to  breathe 
his  soul  away.  Near  by  is  his  writing-table. 
The  articles  upon  it  lie  untouched  as  he  left  them 
on  going  out  that  morning — his  knife,  his  hand- 
kerchief, his  pens,  and  all  the  rest.  Who  could 
behold  them  unmoved  ?  Some  rulers,  by  their 
tyrannies,  have  earned  their  tragic  fate  ;  but 
Alexander  II.  was  an  enlightened  sovereign, 
humane,  kindly,  generous,  whose  good  deeds 
received  an  ill  requital  from  inhuman  hands. 

It  is  a  relief  to  look  out  of  the  palace  windows 
upon  the  fresh  green  of  the  grassy  lawns  below. 
Until  the  advent  of  the  present  beloved  Tsaritza, 
the  Winter  Palace  garden  was  merely  a  gravelled 
square.  Her  Imperial  Majesty  had  the  space 
converted  into  a  garden  and  turfed,  to  remind 
her  of  her  mother's  island  home,  fair  England. 

We  cherish  vivid  memories  of  the  Winter 
Palace  :  its  spacious  sweeping  marble  staircases, 
its  sumptuous  upholstery,  its  huge  candlesticks 


64  WINTER  PALACE  AND  ITS  TREASURES 

of  crystal,  its  great  silver  vases,  its  painted 
ceilings,  its  scintillating  chandeliers,  its  great 
galleries  of  Royal  portraits,  its  stateliness  and 
elegance  of  adornment  in  gold  and  silver  and 
artistic  embroideries  and  tapestries,  its  columns 
and  cornices  and  furnishings  of  malachite,  and 
jasper,  and  lapis  lazuli,  and  multi-coloured 
marbles,  and  ivory  ;  its  wealth  of  every  kind  of 
rare  carved,  polished,  and  inlaid  wood-work ; 
its  lovely  pavement  of  mosaics  brought  from 
Pompeii ;  its  brilliant  mirrors ;  the  fountains 
and  palms  of  its  beautiful  conservatories  ;  its 
endless  galleries  of  pomp  and  luxury  ;  and  the 
dignity  of  its  innumerable  magnificently  uni- 
formed men-servants.  Here,  surely,  is  an  earthly 
paradise  !  To  possess  all  this  is  indeed  the 
zenith  of  mortal  happiness. 

But,  alas  for  human  greatness  !  What  a 
mockery  it  is  !  The  Tsar  has  not  resided  in  this 
superb  palace  of  his,  except  perhaps  for  one 
night  or  so,  since  May  1906  ;  nor  is  it  considered 
quite  safe  for  him  to  come  even  to  look  at  it, 
as  we  have  done. 


DUMA   MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS 


VII 

DUMA   MEMBERS   ASK    QUESTIONS 

**  \  T   7E  who  are  here  are  all  members  of  the 
VV      Greek  Orthodox  Church,"  said  Pro- 
fessor   ,   of  the   St.   Petersburg  University, 

one  of  the  first  authorities  in  Europe  in  his 
own  department  of  science.  "  The  majority  of 
the  members  of  the  Duma  are,  of  course,  of  the 
national  faith." 

"  And  yet  you  advocate  religious  liberty  ?  " 
"  Certainly  we  do.     We  stand  for  the  freedom 
of  the  individual  in  matters  of  religion.     For  my 
own  part,  the  older  I  become  the  more  devoted 
I  am  to  my  own  Church." 

The  Tsar's  Manifesto  of  Easter  1905  is  still 
before  the  Duma  with  the  object  of  shaping  it 
into  a  statute  of  the  realm.  The  Committee  of 
Rehgions  of  the  Duma  is  deliberating  upon  its 
details,  as  these  affect  the  Old  Believers,  Roman 
CathoUcs  and  other  "  sectants."  Those  members 
of  the  Left  who  are  in  favour  of  the  enlargement 
and  strengthening  of  its  provisions  have  held 
several  meetings   to   confer  upon   their  line   of 

67 


68  DUMA    MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS 

action  in  Committee  and  in  the  Duma.  In  the 
former  they  may  have  a  struggle  ;  in  the  Duma 
they  confidently  anticipate  a  substantial  ma- 
jority in  favour  of  an  enlightened  and  progressive 
measure. 

*'  About  ten  days  ago,"  said  President  , 

"  the  matter  was  discussed  in  the  Duma  Grand 
Committee,  when  our  views  were  carried  by  a 
majority  of  the  votes.  The  Roman  Catholics 
were,  of  course,  in  favour  of  freedom,  as  their 
religion,  like  all  foreign  religions,  is  only  tolerated  ; 
but  even  some  of  our  Greek  Church  priests  voted 
with  us,  which  is  a  most  encouraging  sign." 

Another  informal  meeting  was  recently  called, 
and  Rev.  W.  Fetler  had  been  invited  to  attend. 
By  the  courtesy  of  the  president  and  the  other 
gentlemen  present,  the  writer  was  introdueed  as 
an  English  Free  Church  minister  who  could  give 
information  that  might  be  useful  to  them  as  to 
the  conditions  of  religious  liberty  prevailing  in 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  of  America. 

'*  Russia  is  not  England,  you  know,"  said  one 
member,  with  a  smile.  "  We  must  be  satisfied 
to  go  slowly." 

The  room  was  spacious  and  well  upholstered. 
On  the  broad  table  were  pens,  ink,  and  paper. 
The  waiters  who,  at  a  later  hour,  brought  in  the 
glasses  of  tea  and  sliced  lemon,  stepped  noise- 
lessly upon  the  thick  carpet. 


DUMA    MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS  69 

President  courteously  offered  his  cigar- 
case,  and  then,  hghting  a  cigarette,  plunged  into 
the  matter  in  hand. 

It  was  explained  that  the  Manifesto  of  1905 
had  granted  to  the  Russian  the  long-desired  boon 
of  liberty  to  change  his  religion  if  he  so  desired. 
For  centuries  every  Russian  by  his  birth  became 
a  member  of  the  Greek  Orthodox  Church,  and  to 
forsake  it  was  the  direst  offence  he  could  commit 
against  the  State — an  offence  which  exposed 
him  to  terrible  pains  and  penalties.  "  Foreign 
religions "  had  been  specifically  provided  for. 
The  administration  under  which  they  are  pro- 
tected has  long  been  a  department  of  the  Ministry 
of  the  Interior.  But  "  foreign  religions  "  were 
only  the  privilege  (or  pitiable  fate)  of  the  foreign 
races  that  owned  allegiance  to  the  Russian  throne. 
The  German  might  be  a  Lutheran  ;  the  Pole,  a 
Romanist ;  the  Armenian  and  the  Tartar,  the 
Tcherkess  and  the  Grusian  and  all  the  rest,  had 
liberty  to  follow  their  ancestral  faiths.  Even 
the  Jew — with  disabilities  the  recital  of  which 
brings  the  crimson  to  the  cheek — might  remain 
a  Jew.  But  the  Russian  must  be  a  Greek  Ortho- 
dox, and  nothing  else,  for  ever  and  ever — except 
an  atheist,  or  a  hypocrite  ;  there  is  no  statute 
prohibiting  these  variations,  and  consequently 
they  are  common. 

By  his  famous  Manifesto  of  Easter  1905  the 


70  DUMA    MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS 

Tsar  had  conceded  liberty  to  change  his  faith 
even  to  the  Greek  Orthodox  !  The  Most  Holy 
Governing  Synod  gnashed  its  venerable  teeth, 
but  the  terror  of  revolution  was  stalking  through 
the  land,  and  even  Pobiedonostzeff  was  powerless. 

One  point,  however,  had  been  reserved,  and 
around  this  the  battle  of  the  Duma  has  yet  to 
be  fought.  The  Russian  is  free  to  change  his 
faith,  hut  he  who  is  guilty  of  persuading  him  to  do 
so  is  liable  to  the  severest  punishments. 

On  this  point  the  Left  are  concentrating  for 
a  vigorous  and,  it  is  hoped,  a  victorious  struggle. 
As  loyal  Russians  they  would  desire  to  give  a 
generous  and  complete  interpretation  to  the 
expressed  will  of  His  Majesty  the  Tsar,  and  thus 
bring  the  greater  honour  to  the  throne  and  the 
larger  blessing  to  the  nation. 

"  Would  you  kindly  tell  us — it  will  help  us," 
said  a  member  of  the  Duma,  *'  what  are  the  regu- 
lations and  laws  in  England  under  which  a  man 
may  leave  one  Church  and  become  a  member  of 
another  ?  We  should  like  to  know,  too,  the  prin- 
ciple of  your  laws  respecting  liberty  to  build 
places  of  worship,  and  to  make  converts  to  faiths 
other  than  that  established  by  the  State.  Are 
there  books  available  containing  the  regulations 
on  these  points  ?  If  so,  could  you  supply  us  with 
a  few  copies  ?  " 

The  writer  could,  at  the  moment,  recall  no 


nDUMA    members    ask    question^  73 

"sh  literature  on  these  matters,  except  per- 
he  letters  of  Dr.  Clifford  and  the  speeches 
Sishops  and  others  on  Education  Acts  and 
Public  questions, 
principle  in  England  is,  *  Hands  off,  in 
conscience  ! '     The    State    concerns 
itselt  wiin  civil  affairs,  and  leaves  spiritual  in- 
terests to  the  individual  conscience.     We  have  no 
regulations  respecting  a  change  of  faith.'* 

"  Does  the  convert  pay  no  fine,  incur  no 
penalty  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  A  man  is  at  liberty  to  unite  with 
another  Church  whenever  he  thinks  it  will  be  to 
his  advantage  to  do  so." 

"  But  his  change  of  religion  must  be  registered, 
of  course,  by  the  police  ?  " 

"  No.  The  police  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
Each  Church  registers  its  own  members.  If  they 
do  not,  the  State  does  not  concern  itself." 

*'  The  Government  controls  the  building  of  new 
churches  ?  " 

"  We  are  free  to  build  as  many  as  we  need, 
if  we  can  find  sites  and  money  for  them.  The 
ability  to  find  the  money  is  not  always  considered 
a  prerequisite." 

This  sally  was  lost  upon  the  grave  inquirers. 
I  am  not  sure  that  Mr.  Fetler  translated  it. 

"  May  a  person  attempt  to  turn  another  from 
his  faith  ?  " 


.  jma  members  ask  questions 

"  Yes  ;  it  is  done  every  day." 

"  Without  incurring  penalties  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

'*  But  if  he  be  a  member  of  the  Anglican  Church 
— your  Established  Church  ?  " 

'*  It  does  not  make  any  difference.  With  us 
attachment  to  a  Church — even  the  State  Church 
— is  purely  voluntary.  The  people  unite  them- 
selves to  it,  and  remain  in  it,  because  it  helps 
them  spiritually  and  they  love  it.  There  is  no 
other  bond." 

"  But  your  King  must  remain  a  member  of  the 
National  Church  ?  " 

"  Yes.  This  is  at  present  one  of  the  vital  con- 
ditions on  which  he  holds  the  crown  of  Great 
Britain.  The  object  is  to  secure  that  he  shall 
not  be  a  Roman  Cathohc.  British  citizens  dread 
the  domination  of  Rome.  We  have  had  bitter 
experience  of  what  that  means  in  past  generations. 
Another  condition  is  that  he  shall  reside  in  the 
country  he  governs.  He  might  leave  England, 
and  come  here  to  Petersburg  to  live.  In  that 
case  he  must  surrender  the  crown.  He  might 
leave  Anglicanism  and  become,  like  myself,  a 
Baptist,  if  his  conscience  troubled  him  on  the 
doctrinal  points  involved.  But  he  would  also 
in  that  case  yield  up  the  crown.  You  see,  both 
monarch  and  subjects  are  as  perfectly  free  as  to 
theirfaith  as  theyare  as  totheir  placeof  residence.' ' 


DUMA    MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS  73 

*'Your  English  Government — the  Ministers — 
are,  of  course,  Anglicans  ?  " 

'*  By  no  means.  Perhaps  the  majority  are, 
but  it  is  not  essential.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  high 
office  in  the  Cabinet  is  held  by  a  Baptist." 

*'  By  a  Baptist  1     What  is  his  name  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Lloyd  George.  You  have  heard  of  him. 
He  is  a  Dissenter.  There  are  others  in  the  British 
Ministry.  Religious  tests  are  old-fashioned  and 
pernicious.  We  have  long  ago  given  them 
up." 

"  Your  country  once  had  restrictive  laws  in 
matters  of  rehgion  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  plenty  of  them— cruel  laws.  The 
reigns  of  the  Stuart  kings  are  an  abhorrent 
memory  to  the  British  people  on  that  account. 
But  that  is  long  past." 

"  Another  question.  You  have  open-air  re- 
ligious meetings  even  in  your  towns—under  what 
restrictions  ?  " 

"  There  is  only  one  that  I  know  of — there 
must  be  no  obstruction  of  the  thoroughfare. 
Roads  were  made  for  transit.  If  you  keep  a 
free  passage,  you  may  preach  what  religion  you 
please  out  of  doors." 

These  replies  were  listened  to  with  an  interest 
that  was  pathetic  in  its  keenness.  Conversation 
then  turned  to  the  divergent  parties  in  the  Church 
of  England,  and  to  the  various  questions  at  issue 


74  DUMA    MEMBERS    ASK    QUESTIONS 

between  English  denominations,  and  kindred 
subjects. 

"  We  of  the  Western  nations  are  looking  with 
most  sympathetic  eyes  upon  this  struggle  for 
freedom  of  conscience  here  in  Russia.  And  to 
you,  the  front-rank  fighters  for  this  vital  reform 
in  the  States  Duma,  with  all  our  hearts  we  wish 
*  God-speed  !  *  " 

It  was  with  feelings  of  profound  respect  for 
these  Russian  gentlemen,  and  high  appreciation 
of  their  courage  and  fidelity  to  noble  ideals  in  a 
conflict  beset  with  grave  difficulties  and  possibly 
not  without  personal  peril,  that,  hearing  the 
chiming  of  the  bells  of  a  neighbouring  church,  we 
hurriedly  took  our  leave  and  passed  out  into  the 
clear  frosty  air  of  the  St.  Petersburg  midnight. 


IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 


VIII 
IN    THE    GREAT    HALL    OF    NOBEL 

ABOUT  ten  years  ago  Herr  Nobel,  whose 
fame  is  world-wide  as  the  donor  of  the 
Nobel  Prize,  bestowed  annually  upon  the  distin- 
guished individual  who  has  rendered  conspicuous 
service  in  the  interests  of  international  peace, 
built  a  hall  in  Viborgskaja,  St.  Petersburg. 

Herr  Nobel's  works  are  in  close  proximity, 
and  his  object  appears  to  have  been  to  provide 
a  place  to  which  the  workmen  and  their  neighbours 
might  resort  to  listen  to  good  music  or  popular 
scientific  or  literary  lectures  and  for  similar  pur- 
poses. 

The  Hall,  a  handsome  building,  is  approached 
by  a  stately  flight  of  steps.  A  commodious  plat- 
form is  flanked  by  ante-rooms  ;  and  underneath 
the  main  hall  are  suites  of  rooms  which  are  used 
as  an  Institute,  cloak-rooms,  restaurant,  care- 
taker's rooms,  etc. 

It  is  hardly  possible  for  us  to  realise  that  popu- 
lous and  luxurious  St.  Petersburg  is  a  city  almost 

17 


78  IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 

destitute  of  halls  suitable  for  public  meetings. 
There  is  a  prodigality  of  palaces.  The  stately 
quays  of  the  Neva  and  the  banks  of  the  canals 
are  hned  with  them.  Now  and  again  there  is  one 
**  on  the  market,"  which  may  be  picked  up  at 
anything  above  two  million  roubles.  There 
are  churches  innumerable  ;  their  cupolas,  brightly 
coloured  or  of  burnished  copper,  flash  in  the 
clear  sunshine  in  every  quarter  of  the  city,  and 
shame  the  Londoner  by  the  contrast  which  their 
beauty  presents  to  the  griminess  of  our  places  of 
worship.  There  are  theatres,  too,  and  concert- 
halls.  There  are  military  establishments  and 
great  Government  buildings  in  their  invariable 
dull  red  colour,  the  official  tint.  But  the  ordinary 
public  assembly  room,  so  familiar  and  indis- 
pensable in  our  free  Western  life,  as  far  as  a  visitor 
of  an  inquiring  mind  was  able  to  discover,  is 
practically  non-existent.  If,  reader,  you  doubt 
it,  tramp  St.  Petersburg  for  weeks,  as  Mr.  Fetler 
has  done,  in  search  of  one,  or  search  the  public 
press  for  an  advertisement  of  such  a  place  "to  be 
let,"  and  you  will  be  convinced  of  their  rarity. 
During  the  months  of  political  storm  that 
followed  the  Russo-Japanese  war,  the  men  of 
Herr  Nobel's  works  had  to  dispense  with  their 
lectures,  concerts,  and  other  proposed  intellectual 
and  social  recreations.  Such  gatherings  would 
undoubtedly  have  given  opportunity  for  revo- 


IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL  79 

lutionary  propaganda.  The  authorities  forbad 
them  as  dangerous.  On  the  other  hand,  MM. 
de  Plehve  and  Trepoff,  the  latter  a  man  who  is 
said  to  have  been  sadly  misjudged,  appear  to  have 
considered  that  in  a  religious  revival,  even  though 
on  non-Orthodox  lines,  might  be  found  an  outlet 
for  popular  passions,  then  rising  almost  to  frenzy 
in  political  matters.  At  all  events,  secret  hints 
were  conveyed  to  the  Evangelicals  that  an  ap- 
plication for  permission  to  hold  Gospel  meetings 
would  be  more  than  favourably  considered  by 
the  police.  With  alacrity  Christian  friends  in  the 
city  sought  and  obtained  the  consent  of  Herr  Nobel 
to  the  holding  of  evangelistic  services  in  his  hall. 
The  place  was  inconveniently  located,  being  on 
the  northern  border  of  the  city,  and  not  too  easily 
accessible  ;  otherwise  it  was  just  the  building 
needed  for  such  a  purpose. 

"  It  will  be  essential,"  said  the  responsible 
tchinovnik  when  issuing  the  police  permit,  "  that 
a  small  body  of  military  under  arms  shall  be 
present  in  the  hall  during  your  meeting  ;  and  that 
upon  its  termination  the  people  shall  rapidly  and 
quietly  leave  the  hall  and  disperse — this  for  their 
own  safety." 

The  presence  of  the  military  was  an  unj>leasant 
condition  to  the  pacific  organizers  of  the  meetings, 
but  the  utmost  modification  of  it  that  they  could 
secure  was  that  the  soldiers  might  be  placed  in 


8o  IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 

one  of  the  rooms  from  which  they  could  over- 
hear all  that  was  said,  and  keep  an  eye  upon 
the  assembly,  without  being  themselves  objects  of 
distraction. 

*'  You  do  not  know  the  neighbourhood  or  the 
people  as  well  as  we  do,"  said  the  official.  "  We 
will  run  no  risks  of  revolutionary  speeches  or 
disorder." 

Accordingly  the  evangelistic  campaign  was 
begun  in  that  hall  that  has  continued  inter- 
mittently ever  since.  The  first  meeting  was  a 
season  of  intense  emotion.  The  great  multitude 
that  flocked  to  hear  the  Word  quite  forgot  that 
there  was  a  squad  of  soldiers,  with  loaded  rifles 
and  swords  to  belt,  secreted  in  the  ante-rooms 
at  the  rear.  Was  ever  a  Gospel  meeting  held 
under  such  circumstances  ? 

Subsequent  services  were  held  in  the  same  build- 
ing, and  the  authorities  having  become  assured 
of  the  pacific  character  of  the  assembled  crowds 
and  the  spiritual  tone  of  the  meetings,  withdrew 
the  soldiers  and  contented  themselves  with  police- 
men. Even  these  dwindled  away  to  one  or  two, 
who  were  prepared  to  telephone  for  help  if  need 
arose — which,  of  course,  it  never  did. 

The  rarity,  nay,  rather  the  bold  originahty 
of  the  idea  of  Gospel  preaching  for  the  masses 
caused  the  editor  of  the  Peter shourgsky  Listok, 
one  of   the  city  dailies,  to  send  a  pressman  to 


IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL  8i 

write  up  the  proceedings.  He  furnished  a  six- 
column  description  of  one  of  Mr.  Fetler's  earhest 
meetings  to  his  paper.  British  readers  will  be 
interested  in  a  few  brief  extracts. 

'*At  eight  o'clock  the  Great  Hall  of  Nobel 
was  crowded  with  all  kinds  of  people.  It  was 
much  remarked  that  there  was  an  absence  of  all 
manner  of  holy  pictures.  With  a  special  interest 
the  congregation  awaited  the  appearance  upon 
the  platform  of  the  preacher. 

"  *  See,  there  he  comes  ! ' 

**  He  sat  down  in  quiet  thoughtfulness  behind 
the  table,  covering  his  face  with  his  hands.  Some 
strained  minutes  were  passed. 

**  *  Friends,  let  us  sing  number  first,  from  The 
Favourite  Hymns.*  {The  Favourite  Hymns  is  a 
compilation  made  by  Colonel  Paschkoff  twenty- 
five  years  ago.  When  the  Colonel  was  banished 
for  Hfe  from  Russia  and  the  meetings  were  broken 
up,  the  hymnbooks  were  stored  away  for  more 
auspicious  times.) 

"  The  singing  of  *  Tell  me  the  old,  old  story  ' 
was  spirited  and  melodious.  Above  the  platform, 
where  stands  the  preacher  flanked  by  his  two 
choirs,  extends  a  white  scroll,  upon  which  were 
the  words,  *  We  preach  Christ  crucified.'  The 
two  choirs  are  those  of  the  EvangeUcal  Christians 
and  of  the  Baptists." 

The  reporter  was  much  impressed  by  an  allu- 

6 


82  IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 

sion  in  Mr.  Fetler's  address  to  the  local  tram- 
ways for  purposes  of  illustration.  The  associa- 
tion of  such  a  mundane  and  secular  matter  with 
"  Golgotha  and  the  Cross "  approximated  to 
irreverence  in  his  judgment. 

"  At  last  the  preacher  with  much  animation 
exclaimed,  *  We  also  are  revolutionists  !  '  Then 
followed  a  pause.  But  of  course  this  was  only 
an  exhibition  of  the  arts  of  the  orator.  *  Yes, 
we  are  revolutionists  !  *  (The  police  present  did 
not  raise  their  rifles  to  fire,  awaiting  apparently 
further  developments) .  '  We  are  revolutionists 
against  the  tyranny  of  sin  and  Satan.  We  wage 
war  against  drink,  deceit,  the  devil,  and  death.' 
The  atheists  of  to-day  Mr.  Fetler  compared 
to  the  swine  under  the  oak-tree,  in  the  fable, 
who  ate  the  acorns  and  began  to  uproot  the 
tree." 

"  At  the  close  he  expressed  the  earnest  desire 
that  the  States  Duma  should,  at  the  earliest 
moment,  grant  the  fullest  liberty  of  conscience 
in  Russia." 

Recently  the  same  newspaper  published  a 
very  informing  interview  with  one  of  the  Greek 
Church  missionaries  named  Bogouloboff.  This 
gentleman  is  employed  by  the  Orthodox  autho- 
rities for  the  purpose  of  holding  public  debates, 
particularly  in  the  rural  districts,  with  non- 
Orthodox  religious  leaders.     He  also   promotes 


IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL  83 

"  anti-sectant  meetings,"  in  which  seceders  from 
the  Greek  Church  are  denounced  and  heretical 
doctrines  refuted.  He  is  credited  with  consider- 
able debating  abihty,  and  is  regarded  as  a  cham- 
pion of  Orthodoxy.     Says  Bogouloboff  : 

"  Sectantism  is  spreading  in  Petersburg  more 
and  more  by  widely  different  methods.  Their 
proselytism  prevails  on  the  one  side  by  their 
persistence,  and  on  the  other  by  their  cunning 
methods  of  propaganda.  As  an  example  of  my 
words  I  can  give  you  this  fact  illustrating,  from 
everyday  life.  About  three  days  ago  a  woman 
took  her  seat  by  me  in  the  tram-car,  and  at  once 
began  to  speak  to  me  about  reUgion  !  The 
pubhc  in  the  car  immediately  directed  their 
attention  to  our  conversation.  She  was  a  sec- 
tant.  Cases  hke  this  are  not  infrequent,  and 
show  how  persistent  they  are.  These  voluntary 
and  authorised  propagandists  of  various  sects — 
there  is  no  counting  them— are  always  seeking 
an  opportunity  to  speak  with  whomsoever  they 
may  find,  and  succeed  in  gaining  everywhere 
and  at  all  times  adherents  to  their  beliefs." 

"  What  do  you  think,"  inquired  the  inter- 
viewer, "is  the  chief  aim  of  the  sectant  propaganda 
of  the  day  ?  " 

"The  following,"  was  Bogouloboff's  reply. 
"  To  prepare  in  Russia  the  way  for  a  church 
reformation  movement.     To  this  end  the  sectants 


84  IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 

hold  their  meetings  for  outsiders,  *  to  call  to 
Christ/  To  refute  them  we  arrange  missionary 
lectures,  which  are  given  under  my  direction." 

"  Where  is  the  chief  place  of  residence  of  these 
sectants  ?  " 

*'  In  North  America,  England,  and  Hamburg. 
The  latter  place  is  especially  the  sower  of  Baptist 
and  various  other  seeds  of  evil  tendencies,"  was 
the  reply. 

For  a  considerable  period  these  evangelistic 
meetings  were  held  weekly,  on  Monday  evenings, 
in  the  Hall  of  Nobel.  They  were  always  popular. 
The  writer  was  privileged  to  preach  at  one  of 
the  services,  Baroness  von  Cruze,  a  friend  of  the 
late  Colonel  Paschkoff,  interpreting  into  Russian. 

Over  the  platform  facing  the  audience  is  a  full- 
length  oil-painting  of  Herr  Nobel ;  and  to  the 
left  hangs  a  portrait  of  the  Tsar — the  latter  a 
feature  of  probably  every  public  room  of  every 
city  of  the  Empire.  The  hall  is  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity ;  and  the  scene  as  viewed  from  the  platform 
was  inspiring.  The  people  pressed  to  the  front 
for  seats,  until  every  chair  on  the  platform  not 
already  occupied  was  transferred  to  the  aisles  of 
the  hall.  There  appeared  to  be  no  vacant  place 
anywhere.  There  were  some  fine  intellectual  heads 
in  the  audience,  and  here  and  there  a  rugged 
bearded  face  strikingly  suggestive  of  Tolstoy. 

At  the  call  of  Mr.  Fetler,  young  men,  working 


IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL  85 

men,  arose  here  and  there  in  the  meeting  to  read 
out  a  verse  of  a  hymn.  The  two  choirs,  Evan- 
gehcal  Christians  and  Baptists,  led  the  singing, 
and  rendered  two  anthems  in  the  course  of  the 
service. 

In  prayer  all  the  people  knelt ;  and  plaintive 
pathetic  murmurings  and  pleadings  that  brought 
the  tears  to  one's  eyes  arose  everywhere  through 
the  hall.  They  who  were  inwardly  impelled  to 
do  so,  prayed  aloud,  and  prayers  were  heard  in 
all  directions.  They  were  invariably  brief,  and 
never  noisy.     It  was  deeply  affecting. 

An  inquiry  meeting  followed,  to  which  a  large 
number  remained  for  spiritual  guidance  and  aid. 

Not  always  are  Gospel  services  permitted  to 
pass  without  hostile  interruption.  When  the 
enemies  of  the  truth  are  present,  as  at  times  they 
are,  the  utmost  circumspection  and  patience  are 
needed  to  avoid  giving  cause  for  offence  either 
by  word  or  deed. 

Rev.  F,  Arndt  describes  such  an  occasion  in  a. 
recent  St.  Petersburg  meeting. 

"  Where  are  the  ikons  ?  We  have  come  here 
to  pray.  We  want  an  ikon  !  "  exclaimed  a 
number  of  men  who  had  clearly  come  to  the 
meeting  to  create  a  disturbance.  There  were 
a  dozen  or  more  of  them. 

"  Let  us  see  your  ikons.  How  can  we  say  our 
prayers  without  them  ?  " 


86  IN  THE  GREAT  HALL  OF  NOBEL 

"  We  do  not  pray  here  after  that  manner," 
said  the  pastor  pacifically. 

"  You  have  opened  this  place  for  worship," 
protested  the  intruders.  "  But  where  are  the 
holy  pictures  of  the  saints  ?  " 

"  If  you  desire  to  pray  to  ikons,"  replied  he, 
"  you  can  do  so  in  your  own  church  or  at  home. 
We  have  no  ikons  in  our  meetings." 

*'  You  do  not  reverence  the  holy  pictures.  You 
are  blasphemers  !  " 

Then  they  came  forward  angrily  and  began 
an  outburst  of  abuse  and  threatenings.  The 
assembly  became  excited.  In  the  uproar  women 
and  girls  cried  out,  and  some  fainted.  There 
was  no  alternative  but  to  discontinue  the  service 
and  urge  the  people  to  go  quickly  and  quietly 
home.  Disturbance  in  the  building  would  have 
probably  resulted  in  the  temporary  closing  of  the 
hall. 

Such  scenes  are  happily  exceptional  in  St. 
Petersburg.  It  has  not  been  uncommon  of  late 
for  the  police  to  assist  in  the  orderly  arrangement 
of  the  larger  gatherings,  when  the  roadways  have 
been  blocked  with  people,  and  the  doors  of  the  hall 
have  had  to  be  closed  some  time  before  the  com- 
mencement of  the  proceedings,  the  building  being 
as  full  as  it  could  hold.  This  has  especially  been 
the  case  at  the  hall  of  the  City  Duma  on  the 
Nevsky  Prospect. 


PERILS   AND    TRAGEDIES    OF 
STUDENT   LIFE 


IX 

PERILS   AND   TRAGEDIES    OF 
STUDENT    LIFE 

EVERY  young  Russian  who  hopes  to  make 
anything  of  himself  and  his  future  must 
of  necessity  have  a  University  education.  It  is 
the  rule  of  the  empire.  A  man  cannot  even 
become  a  station-master  on  an  out-of-the-way 
provincial  line  without  his  University  creden- 
tials. Hence  the  youth  of  Russia  flocks  to  the 
great  cities,  to  the  gates  of  Opportunity. 

"  Who  is  that  young  fellow  in  uniform  at  the 
next  table  ?  He  looks  to  be  rather  important," 
one  of  our  party  inquired  of  Mr.  Fetler  as  we  sat 
together  at  dinner  in  a  restaurant  on  Nevsky 
Prospect. 

"  Only  a  University  student.  They  must  all 
wear  a  uniform  to  distinguish  them,"  was  the 

reply. 

The  University  uniform  was  not  at  all  showy, 
but  it  was  to  be  seen  everywhere  in  the  city— 

89 


90  PERILS    AND    TRAGEDIES 

at  the  meetings  of  Mr.  Fetler,  in  the  public 
streets,  on  the  river  ferry-boats,  among  the  in- 
numerable little  shops  of  the  Gostinnoi  Dvor, 
in  the  attractive  avenues  of  the  Summer  Gardens 
or  the  Catharineschoff,  where  the  inhabitants 
enjoy  much  of  their  leisure.  The  wearing  of  the 
uniform  is  compulsory.  Indeed,  nearly  every- 
body wears  a  uniform  of  some  kind.  But  a 
stranger  may  easily  be  mistaken  as  to  the  rela- 
tive importance  of  the  wearers.  For  example, 
yonder  dignitary  in  the  brilliant  crimson  cape  is 
neither  a  governor-general  nor  a  grand  duke,  but 
an  ordinary  lackey  ;  and  he  in  the  bright  green 
coat  who  passes  you  in  the  throng  on  the  foot- 
path, and  condescends  to  give  you  a  deferential 
salute,  is  only  a  distributor  of  handbills. 

The  student-life  of  the  vast  city  on  the  Neva 
is  a  wide,  wide  field,  all  white  and  waiting,  of 
opportunity  for  Christian  self-denying  service. 
There  are  about  thirty  thousand  young  students  in 
this  city  alone  belonging  to  the  University  and 
the  various  gymnasia — twenty-one  thousand  men 
and  nearly  nine  thousand  girls — and  of  these  some 
twelve  thousand  are  in  the  University. 

The  need  of  these  young  people  for  the  guiding 
light  of  Gospel  truth  and  precept,  and  the  help- 
ful grace  of  Christian  friendliness  and  love,  is 
so  great  as  to  be  positively  tragic.  The  perils 
of  life  in  great  centres  of  population  to  the  moral 


OF    STUDENT    LIFE  91 

and  spiritual  interests  of  youth  are  in  general 
familiar  to  Christian  philanthropists  everywhere  ; 
but  surely  nowhere  are  those  perils  so  inevitable 
and  so  terrible  as  to  the  student-youth  of  the 
Russian  cities. 

Speaking  broadly,  the  revolutionary  dreams 
of  a  sudden  millennium  through  immediate  and 
violent  political  changes,  dreams  that  filled  with 
rosy  hopes  many  thousands  of  young  student 
hearts  in  the  earlier  years  of  this  century,  have 
died  away.  The  political  ideals  so  enthusiastically 
cherished  and  propagated,  have  been  shattered 
by  the  remorselessly  slow  and  even  processes  of 
present-day  history.  And  now  there  has  sprung 
up  in  their  stead,  and  perhaps  as  their  inevitable 
fruit,  a  blunt  and  coarse  atheistic  quasi-philosophy 
such  as  that  which  Paul  alluded  to  in  the  ex- 
pression, "  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow 
we  die." 

"  We  have  discovered  that  it  is  impossible  to 
fashion  the  world  according  to  our  ideals,"  they 
say  in  effect.  "  Let  us  yield  ourselves  to  such 
gratifications  as  it  may  afford  to  us.  Self-denial 
is  folly.  Self-indulgence  alone  is  wisdom.  Good 
and  evil  are  only  popular  superstitions.  Let  us 
fling  them  aside,  and  please  ourselves  as  far  as 
we  may  and  as  long  as  we  can,  and  then — eternal 
silence  !  " 

This  degrading  and  destructive  rule  of  life  is 


92  PERILS    AND    TRAGEDIES 

fed  and  fostered  by  the  abundant  publication  of 
cheap  reprints  of  the  ordinary  infidel  writings  of 
Western  nations,  which  are  widely  read  among 
the  student  class,  at  the  age  when  the  mind  is 
most  impressionable  and  most  receptive  to  new 
ideas. 

Many  of  the  women-students  appear  to  be  even 
more  intoxicated  with  this  philosophy  of  hell 
than  the  young  men.  You  meet  them  in  the 
streets,  following  in  the  wake  of  their  young  men 
lovers  (with  whom  in  many  cases  they  live  as 
though  married),  their  white  faces  animated  with 
smiles  that  are  almost  ghastly.  You  may  en- 
counter them  also  in  the  public  restaurants,  taking 
their  meals  together. 

An  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  the  sacred 
institutions  of  Christian  marriage  and  the  home 
have  already  become  undermined  in  the  regard 
of  Russia's  young  womanhood,  may  be  gained 
from  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted 
as  recently  as  December  1909  at  a  meeting  of 
women  in  the  city  of  St.  Petersburg  : 

"  Considering  that  the  contemporary  form  of 
marriage  does  not  satisfy  the  ripened  understand- 
ing and  needs  of  society,  and  finding  that  unions 
outside  marriage  cast  a  serious  reflection  on  the 
children,  the  meeting  is  in  favour  of  the  following 
changes  and  additions  to  the  civil  law : 

"  (i)  To  enlarge  the  number  of  reasons  for  the 


OF   STUDENT   LIFE  93 

dissolution  of  marriage  on  a  basis  of  equal  rights 
for  both  sides. 


**  (4)  To  broaden  the  rights  of  children  born  out 
of  marriage  ;  to  extend  their  rights  of  inheritance 
not  only  to  the  acquired  property  of  the  mother, 
but  also  to  the  entailed  property,  and  to  strengthen 
the  bond  between  a  child  born  out  of  marriage 
with  its  father,  by  a  number  of  changes  and 
additions  to  the  existing  law." 

The  suggestion  of  "  free  unions  "  found  a  great 
support  in  the  meeting  ;  one  young  person  going 
so  far  as  to  declare,  amid  the  hearty  applause  of 
many  present,  that  there  was  only  one  objection 
to  "  free  unions  between  men  and  women," — that 
certain  legal  disadvantages  followed  to  the  chil- 
dren. Another  declared  that  marriage  was  "  a 
prison." 

These  women  appear  to  have  been  utterly 
oblivious  of  the  two  facts  :  (i)  that  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  marriage  tie  womankind  would  be 
from  first  to  last  the  sufferers  and  losers  ;  and 
(2)  that  to  the  Divine  Founder  of  the  Christian 
faith  womanhood  owes  all  that  is  to-day  most 
precious  to  her,  including  her  queenship  in  the 
sacred  domain  of  the  home. 

The  bitter  fruits  of  these  atheistic  views  of  life 
and  responsibility  and  morals  are  apparent.     The 


94  PERILS    AND    TRAGEDIES 

enormous  "  Home  for  Illegitimate  Children 
Foundlings  "  contains  the  population  of  a  small 
town,  covers  about  thirty  acres  of  land  in  the 
heart  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  is  sustained  by  con- 
siderable endowments  and  donations.  This  in- 
stitution, while  on  the  one  hand  an  exhibition  of 
the  virtue  of  charity,  is  on  the  other  a  revelation 
of  the  appalling  extent  to  which  the  canker  of 
vice  and  immorality  has  eaten  its  shameful  way 
into  the  young  life  of  the  community.  A  daily 
stream  of  infants — "  from  twenty  to  twenty-five," 
one  authority  says — is  received  at  its  doors,  "  and 
no  questions  are  asked."  We  have  it  on  the  word 
of  Count  Leon  Tolstoy  that  about  the  same 
number  are  admitted  into  the  "  Home  for  Ille- 
gitimate Children  "  in  Moscow.  Between  seven 
and  eight  hundred  wet-nurses  are  always  kept 
busy  in  the  Petersburg  "  Home."  It  is,  indeed, 
a  very  grave  question  whether  these  well-meant 
institutions  are  not  productive  of  vastly  more 
harm  than  good.  While  it  may  readily  be  con- 
ceded that  the  great  majority  of  these  unwanted 
babies  come  from  classes  other  than  **  the  intel- 
ligentia,"  the  fact  that  close  at  hand  are  such  easy 
facilities  for  escaping  the  consequences  of  evil- 
living  cannot  be  other  than  demoralising  in  its 
effects  upon  the  tremendous  aggregation  of  young 
life  of  both  sexes  gathered  to  the  city  for  pur- 
poses of  study,  and  (in  the  case  of  students  from 


OF    STUDENT   LIFE  95 

other  parts)  knowing  nothing  of  the  restraints  of 
ordinary  family  Hfe. 

There  are  other  fruits  of  the  youthful  atheism 
of  the  city.  A  group  of  young  women  students 
have  entered  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  each 
other  to  commit  suicide  within  a  given  term  of 
years,  and  until  the  moment  of  their  death  to 
"enjoy  "  their  lives  to  the  utmost  extent,  irre- 
spective of  moral  or  any  other  considerations. 
The  beautiful  blue  waters  of  the  Neva  yield  up 
more  bodies  of  suicides  than  any  other  river  in 
the  world  ! 

This  shocking  condition  of  things  weighs  like 
an  awful  nightmare  upon  many  Christian  and 
compassionate  hearts ;  and  efforts  are  now  being 
made  as  never  before  to  reach  the  students  as  a 
class  with  the  Gospel.  Until  the  end  of  the  year 
1905  such  efforts  were  impossible  because  illegal. 

Naturally  the  majority  of  the  students  are 
Russians.  There  is  a  sprinkling  of  German, 
Lettish,  Esthonian,  Polish,  and  Jewish  students, 
but  the  Russians  are  in  overwhelming  numbers. 
As  we  have  seen,  prior  to  the  Manifesto  of  1905 
it  was  a  penal  offence  for  a  Russian  to  change 
his  "  faith."  These  men  and  girls  might  freely 
become  moral  lepers,  social  wreckage,  infidels 
open  and  scornful,  so  long  as  they  paid  the 
formal  homage  at  the  traditional  shrines  ;  but  to 
become  a  convert  to  Rome,  or  to  Judaism,  or  to 


96  PERILS   AND    TRAGEDIES 

Lutheranism,  or  to  a  '' foreign  religion  "  of  any 
kind,  was  an  offence  for  which  severe  penalties 
were  provided.  It  is  indeed  doubtful  even  now 
whether  any  attempt  to  win  the  Russian  student 
to  evangelical  truth  is  not  punishable. 

Rev.  W.  Fetler  introduced  us  to  Baron  Nicolay, 
than  whom  the  St.  Petersburg  students  have  no 
truer  friend  and  well-wisher.  The  baron  is  a 
Lutheran,  who  serves  his  God  by  compassionately 
caring  for  these  wandering  sheep.  Our  conver- 
sation was  all  upon  this  theme. 

"  We  admit  no  responsibihty  on  our  part  for 
anybody's  change  of  faith,"  said  Baron  Nicolay. 
"It  is  our  duty  to  declare  the  truth  as  we  know 
it.  Their  spiritual  decisions  are  their  own  affairs, 
and  they  are  legally  free  to  make  them.  If  they 
should  give  evidence  by  holiness  of  life  of  a  change 
of  heart,  we  are  of  course  thankful  to  God  ;  but 
we  stand  clear  of  responsibility  for  any  change 
of  creed.  We  impress  on  the  convert  that  such 
a  matter  is  his  or  her  own  free  act.  Mere  change 
of  creed  or  nominal  religion  is  not  at  all  what 
we  aim  at,  but  deliverance  from  sin  and  death." 

'*  And  have  you  found  among  the  students  a 
willingness  to  hear  the  Word  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  we  believe  there  is  an  increasing  dis- 
position. But  atheism  and  a  brand  of  socialism 
intolerant  and  defiant  have  a  tenacious  hold  on 
these  young  people." 


OF    STUDENT    LIFE  97 

"  Where  do  you  invite  them — for  meetings  ?  " 

*'  I  gather  as  many  as  I  can,  and  as  frequently 
as  I  can,  to  my  own  rooms.  Here  we  read  the 
Word,  and  converse  and  pray  together.  There 
is  a  hopeful  and  increasing  group  of  believing 
students  who  will,  we  trust,  be  the  salt  in  the 
University  life  of  the  city." 

"  Any  other  meetings  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Miss  Ruth  Rouse,  the  Women's  Secre- 
tary of  the  World's  Student  Christian  Federation, 
has  held  meetings  for  women  students  here  and 
in  Moscow.  We  arranged  the  first  meetings  in 
fear  and  trembling,  wondering  would  twenty 
girls  come  ?  Those  meetings  covered  a  period 
of  three  weeks  ;  and  upwards  of  three  hundred 
students  applied  eagerly  for  tickets  in  this  city, 
and  in  Moscow  about  twelve  hundred  !  " 

Baron  Nicolay  mentioned  also  the  interesting 
case  of  a  Moscow  Professor  of  PoHtical  Economy 
of  atheistical  views,  Professor  Bulgakoff,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  second  Duma,  who  paid  a  visit  to 
England  expecting  to  find  religion  extinct  in  this 
country.  What  he  saw  astonished  and  bitterly 
disappointed  him.  He  has  since  given  encour- 
aging signs,  not  only  of  change  of  "  views,"  but 
also  of  change  of  heart.  He  is  now  indus- 
triously striving  for  the  souls  of  the  students  of 
both  capitals,  Moscow  and  Petersburg  ;  and  his 
voluntary   lectures   on   rehgio-scientific   subjects 

7 


98       TRAGEDIES    OF    STUDENT   LIFE 

(somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  late  Professor 
Dnimmond)  are  attracting  much  attention  and 
producing  most  favourable  results  among  the 
students. 

"  We  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  oppor- 
tunities of  helping  our  students  ;  and  God  is  giving 
them  to  us,"  said  the  baron.  "  They  are  worth 
the  winning  for  Christ.  They  make  heroic  dis- 
ciples. The  young  Russian  flings  himself  un- 
reservedly upon  the  altar  of  his  faith.  He  asks, 
*  What  have  we  to  do  ?  What  may  we  sacrifice 
for  our  cause  ?  We  are  quite  ready  to  do  or  to 
suffer  for  that  which  fills  our  heart  !  '  " 

Baron  Nicolay  referred  to  one  case  among 
many  :  a  young  woman-student  who  gave  out 
of  her  living  of  fifty  shilhngs  a  month,  no  less  than 
twenty  shillings  monthly  to  her  Social  Demo- 
cratic party. 

"  You  will  hardly  anywhere  find,"  said  he,  '*  a 
more  warm-hearted,  generous,  unselfish  class  of 
people  when  you  have  once  won  their  affections." 


THE   DEFILEMENT   OF    HOLY   MOSCOW 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

YOUR  London  is  very  like  Moscow,"  re- 
marked a  French  professor  visiting 
London,  recently.  "  I  have  lived  in  Moscow. 
It  is  just  the  same.  For  the  leetle  low  houses  of 
red  breeks  or  painted  white  and  the  gardens  every- 
where ;  for  the  broad  roads,  so  long  ;  yes,  and  for 
the  tea  also — always  tea  !  The  city  is  so  wide, 
and  the  factories  and  the  beautiful  shops.  It  is 
the  same  Greek  style  which  you  build,  the  Bank 
of  England,  and  the  National  Gallery,  the  public 
houses " 

"  PubUc  buildings." 

"  Yes,  you  say  public  buildings — they  are  not 
houses.  Also  your  venerable  cathedrals  and 
abbeys  and  Government  buildings — right  in  the 
meedle  of  the  city.  It  is  not  Paris  nor  Berlin. 
It  is  Moscow — yes  !  " 

"  But  our  roadways  are  not  oceans  of  mud  in 
wet  weather,  with  planks  placed  over  the  worst 
holes  to  enable  the  inhabitants  to  leave  their 
dwellings." 

lOI 


102  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

"Oh  no  ;  your  streets  are  clean — very  clean. 
But  your  houses  are  in  the  fronts  very  dirty.  In 
Moscow  they  are  painted  and  bright.  The  air 
is  clear — no  soot.     It  is  a  city  of  many  colours." 

Moscow  from  the  Sparrow  Hills,  or  from  the 
Ivan  Velika  tower  in  the  centre,  presents  an  in- 
comparable view.  It  is  considered  to  be,  when 
thus  seen,  one  of  the  fairest  cities  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth,  inspiring  in  the  hearts  of  the  Ortho- 
dox not  only  admiration  but  veneration  as  their 
sacred  city,  the  metropolis  of  the  faith,  the  centre 
of  Christendom.  The  many-coloured  houses, 
walls  and  gables  brightly  painted,  red  or  yellow, 
blue  or  white,  with  the  green  roofs  ;  the  tall 
towers  ;  the  domes  and  cupolas  of  the  countless 
churches  coloured  or  brightly  burnished ;  the 
gardens,  and  the  interminable  brown  roads, 
together  make  up  an  attractive  picture.  In  the 
heart  of  it  is  the  famous  Kremlin — palace,  fortress, 
and  cluster  of  cathedrals,  all  in  one,  with  its  long 
hues  of  red  encircling  walls,  its  towers  and  glitter- 
ing domes. 

This  view  of  the  ancient  city  from  the  Sparrow 
Hills  Napoleon  and  his  army  took  ere  the 
leaping  flames  consumed  their  prize  before  their 
astonished  gaze,  thereby  condemning  them  to 
retreat  baffled  and  broken  upon  that  frightful 
winter  journey  homeward  which  destroyed  the 
flower  of  the  arms  of  France. 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  103 

In  this  city,  containing  a  population  of  about 
a  million  and  a  half  souls,  a  tiny  Gospel  light 
has  twinkled  for  many  years.  A  small  company 
of  faithful  behevers  was  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
together  each  week  for  prayer  and  the  study  of 
the  Word  of  God.  Five  or  six  years  ago  its 
numbers  were  recruited  by  the  arrival  of  brethren 
from  other  cities,  and  on  the  promulgation  of  the 
Imperial  ukase  granting  religious  Uberty,  in  the 
year  1905,  the  open  preaching  of  the  Gospel  was 
undertaken  in  earnest.  An  upstair  room  was 
hired  near  the  Kremlin,  which  held  when  packed 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  The  rent 
was  heavy — three  thousand  roubles  per  annum. 
The  room  was  much  too  small  and  the  rent  much 
too  large  ;  but  the  members  cheerfully  denied 
themselves,  making  many  sacrifices  and  untiring 
efforts  to  give  and  collect  the  money.  Soon  the 
membership  roll  contained  one  hundred  and 
fifty  names,  while  hundreds  besides  hovered 
around  attending  the  services,  many  eager  for 
the  light,  all  pathetically  interested. 

The  Swedish  committee  for  the  Evangelisk 
Mission  i  Russland  sent  Mr.  Johannes  Svensson 
from  Stockholm  to  labour  in  Moscow  in  1908. 
His  report  of  the  spiritual  darkness  of  the  people 
is  sad  reading. 

**  Do  you  ever  read  the  Bible  ?  "  he  inquired 
of  a  priest  of  the  Orthodox  Church. 


104  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

"  Am  I  a  deacon,  that  I  should  need  to  read 
the  Bible  ?  "  was  the  indignant  reply  of  the 
offended  ecclesiastic. 

It  is  the  inferior  clergy — the  deacons — who 
perform  the  office  of  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures 
in  the  Greek  Churches.  The  ancient  Slavonic 
language  in  which  they  are  read  is  an  unknown 
tongue  to  the  multitudes  who  are  reverently 
standing  to  hear  the  service.  But  the  deep  rich 
musical  voices  of  the  deacons  as  they  read  can 
never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  hear  them  for 
the  first  time.  Evidently  many  of  the  clergy 
attach  no  importance  whatever  to  the  con- 
tents of  the  volume,  the  reading  of  which  they 
contemptuously  delegate  to  their  subordinates. 
**  Like  priests  hke  people." 

"  The  people  live  in  darkness  and  sin  as  fishes 
do  in  water,"  said  Mr.  Svensson.  "  They  do  not 
read  God's  Word.  They  kiss  the  Gospel  every 
Sunday  in  church.  They  love  and  honour  it,  but 
do  not  know  what  is  written  there.  The  reading 
of  the  Bible  is  allowed  ;  but  the  need  therefor 
has  not  been  awakened.  That  is  a  work  for  the 
future." 

A  vivid  description  of  one  of  these  1908  services 
was  given  by  Mr.  Henry  Deacon,  an  English 
visitor  who  was  present. 

"  We  pass  under  an  arch,  and  ascend  with 
others  the  stairs.     The  usual  racks    for  shubas, 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  105 

goloshes  and  hats,  are  full.  We  pass  into  a  room 
benched  by  forms,  and  see  at  the  farther  end  a 
long  table,  a  few  chairs  and  a  harmonium.  The 
benches  are  all  occupied,  and  the  walls  are  lined 
by  standers.  The  leader  is  a  man  with  promi- 
nent brow  and  dark  spectacled  eyes,  who  has 
the  air  and  look  of  a  professor.  By  his  side  is  a 
converted  Jew,  John  Vertitzky,  who  eight  years 
ago  received  the  Lord  Jesus.  He  and  his  wife 
are  glowing  disciples,  and  as  some  days  ago  I 
descended  the  stairway  from  his  lodging,  he 
shouted  from  the  banisters,  '  Im  Himmel  we 
shall  speak  freely  ! ' 

"  While  the  last  speaker  was  on  his  feet  there 
were  several  attempts  to  turn  a  key  in  a  door 
behind.  At  length  a  head  was  angrily  thrust  in 
and  impatiently  withdrawn.  The  intruder  meant 
to  signify  that  our  time  was  up.  And  scarcely 
had  the  benediction  been  pronounced  when,  in 
the  midst  of  the  mutual  farewells  of  the  congre- 
gation, a  partition  was  removed,  and  we  saw  the 
scenery  arranged  upon  a  stage  for  the  first  act 
of  a  play." 

When  red  revolution  raged  in  these  wide 
Moscow  thoroughfares  in  the  awful  winter  of 
1905,  and  desperate  encounters  between  the 
military  and  the  mob  of  workmen  were  of  almost 
daily  occurrence,  when  soldiers  sat  in  these  church 
belfries  and  fired  at  the  pedestrians  in  the  streets 


io6  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

below,  the  workmen  built  high  barriers  of  snow 
across  the  roadways  and  poured  pails  of  water 
over  the  white  masses,  which,  rapidly  freezing, 
formed  ramparts  of  solid  ice  against  the  advance 
of  the  terrible  Cossacks.  Notwithstanding  a 
widespread  awakening  in  Russia,  there  are  yet 
ramparts  of  icy  apathy  and  enmity  to  be  scaled 
by  the  heroic  soldiers  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

The  abortive  revolution  has  put  hindrances 
in  the  path  of  Gospel  progress.  The  fiery  enthu- 
siasm of  the  Russian  youth  ran  with  incredible 
impetuosity  into  political  channels  ;  the  tchinov- 
niks  are  consequently  very  suspicious  of  all 
assembHes  and  conferences. 

A  number  of  the  University  lady-students, 
who  were  blessed  by  the  Gospel  message, 
approached  the  Rector  and  asked  him  for  per- 
mission to  gather  Moscow  children  and  teach 
them  the  Word  of  God.  Being  personally  a 
liberal-minded  man,  he  readily  granted  their 
request.  The  little  Evangelical  community  were 
overjoyed  at  the  prospect  of  the  establishment 
of  a  Sunday-school,  and  began  to  look  around 
for  a  suitable  building  for  the  purpose.  After 
much  inquiry  they  had  the  offer  of  a  theatre  for 
two  hours  at  a  time  at  a  rent  of  fifteen  roubles 
(30s.)  for  each  use  of  the  place. 

"  Where  shall  we  get  the  means  for  such  a 
rent  ?  "  they  inquired  in  dismay. 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  107 

Their  perplexities,  however,  were  summarily 
ended  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  permission  to 
the  thirty  lady  students  to  teach,  in  consequence 
of  political  unrest  in  the  University. 

In  the  following  year  Rev.  W.  Fetler  arrived  in 
Moscow,  not  to  build  on  the  foundations  already 
laid,  but  to  begin  a  new  work  for  Christ  in  another 
quarter  of  the  city.     It  had  been  Mr.  Fetler's 
original  intention  to  begin  his  evangelistic  cam- 
paign in  Russia  in  Moscow,  in  the  heart  of  the 
empire.     But  he  had  been  detained  in  St.  Peters- 
burg when  on  his  way  thither,  and  almost  ere 
he  was  aware  of  it,  found  himself  in  the  midst 
of  a  great  work  in  the  capital  city,  the  claims  of 
which  upon  his  personal  attention  would  take 
no  denial.     He  was  a  happy  man  when  the  St. 
Petersburg  work,  both  among  the  Letts,  his  own 
people,  and  the  Russians,  was  placed  upon  such  a 
permanent  basis,  and  had  produced  such  capable 
leaders  and  teachers  that  he  was  able  for  a  few 
weeks  to  leave  it  and  proceed  to  the  more  needy 
city.     The  fact  that  Mr.  Fetler  is  a  Lett,  and 
therefore  by  heredity  a  non-Orthodox— the  Letts 
as  a  people  are  Lutheran— has  placed  him  on  a 
good  vantage  ground  in  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
Russia.     If  he  had  been  a  true  Russian  by  birth, 
he  would  have  been  looked  upon  as  a  traitor  to 
his  hereditary  faith,  and  his  public  appearances 
on  EvangeUcal  platforms  would  probably  have 


io8  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

excited  much  greater  hostility,  particularly  from 
the  Greek  Church. 

The  multitudes  flocked  to  his  hired  hall  to 
hear  him  preach.  The  newspapers  gave  long 
and  graphic  accounts  of  the  services,  sometimes 
appreciative  but  hostile  for  the  most  part.  Here 
is  a  specimen  : 

"  Orthodox  Christians,  what  is  being  done  in 
our  Holy  Russia  ?  What  is  happening  in  our 
Mother  Moscow,  the  white-stone  city  ?  From 
far-off  lands,  from  seas  of  the  enemy,  an  unseen 
army  has  come  upon  us — to  make  war  against 
our  holy  faith.  .  .  .  The  enemy  remembers  that 
in  the  twelfth  year  of  the  last  century  (i.e.  1812, 
the  invasion  of  Napoleon)  he  could  not  break 
the  Russian  might,  but  was  himself  broken  on 
the  Rock  Christ — that  is,  the  Holy  Orthodox 
Church.  And  the  enemy  knows  he  cannot 
break  the  Russian  might  if  in  the  future  also 
our  people  will  have  strong  faith  in  Christ — if 
Moscow,  the  heart  of  Russia,  in  the  coming 
years  also  will  be  faithful  to  the  Holy  Orthodox 
Church. 

*'  See,  then,  on  the  street  of  Pokroff,  which 
is  so  called  from  the  Pokroff  shrine  of  the  Most 
Holy  Mother  of  God,  is  an  inimical  camp.  Ah  ! 
it  is  not  faith  that  Fetler  is  after.  He  wants  to 
break  in  pieces  in  Orthodox  people  their  faith  in 
Christ  in  order  that  after  that  he  may  destroy 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  109 

the  Russian  land  itself !  .  .  .  Wake  up,  then,  O 
ye  Orthodox,  from  your  perilous  dream  !  Quench 
these  diabolic  arrows  of  these  Fetlers  and  Perks. 
Think  well  into  what  an  abyss  you  are  being 
drawn  by  these  servants  of  antichrist.  Be  not 
deceived  when  they  quote  Gospel  texts.  Satan 
also,  when  tempting  Christ,  quoted  Holy  Scrip- 
ture. But  the  Lord  replied,  '  Go  thou  behind 
Me,  Satan  ! '  Oh !  brethren,  preserve  the  holy 
faith  and  the  Orthodox  Church  above  every- 
thing !  " 

After  a  time  the  Governor  of  the  city  issued 
orders  that  the  meetings  were  to  cease,  and  the 
pohce  closed  the  hall.  But  the  pastor  went  to 
St.  Petersburg,  and  complained  of  the  action  of 
the  local  authorities,  showing  his  licence  as  an 
accredited  pastor  and  the  registration  certificate 
of  the  newly-formed  church  in  Moscow.  In 
consequence,  the  prohibition  was  withdrawn 
and  the  meetings  resumed.  Some  idea  of  the 
excitement  occasioned  in  the  city  by  these  events, 
and  by  the  meetings,  may  be  gathered  from  the 
following  report  of  one  of  the  services  in  the 
Ruskoe  Zemlya  : 

"  Fetler  now  has  returned  to  Moscow. 

**  *  I  have  been  accused  of  proselytizing  from 
the  State  Church,  but  that  is  false,'  said  Mr. 
Fetler.  '  I  do  not  draw  people  away  from  the 
Church,  but  am  endeavouring  to  turn  them  from 


no  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

evil  works  to  a  good  life,  and  for  that  Russia 
ought  to  be  grateful  to  me.' 

"  On  Tuesday,  January  25,  Fetler  showed 
orthodox  Moscow  what  it  is  that  Holy  Russia 
has  to  be  grateful  to  him  for.  On  that  day  the 
prayer  hall  of  the  Baptists  was  crammed  full  with 
interested  people. 

"  The  meeting  began  with  ths  customary 
singing  and  prayer.  Fetler  himself  preached  the 
sermon.  He  read  from  Acts  viii.,  about  the 
Eunuch,  pausing  also  at  the  baptism  at  Samaria. 
The  chief  feature  of  Fetler's  speech  was  his  most 
fantastical  description  of  the  conversation  be- 
tween Philip  and  the  Eunuch,  entirely  different 
from  the  Bible  story.  The  Eunuch,  or,  as  Fetler 
continually  called  him,  the  Egyptian  Minister 
of  Finance,  stated  to  Philip,  in  Fetler's  version 
of  the  story,  how  his  conscience  was  tormented 
by  his  sins  ;  how  he  repented  of  his  dishonesty 
as  the  treasurer  of  the  Queen,  and  how  at  last 
he  turned  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  of  Jeru- 
salem for  a  solution  of  the  problem  of  sin.  But 
none,  it  seemed,  were  able  to  bring  the  Minister 
of  Finance  to  the  desired  end.  The  Scribes  in 
Jerusalem  good-humouredly  answered  him  : 

"  *  As  for  us,  we  do  not  trouble  much  about  sin. 
We  have  a  good  income,  and  we  remain  calm.' 

'*  At  these  words  the  people  looked  at  one 
another,  and  the  self-satisfied  sectaries  attacked 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  iii 

their  orthodox  neighbours  on  the  forms  with 
commentaries  on  the  plainly  outspoken  words 
of  the  propagandist. 

**  '  Who  are  the  Scribes  now  ?  '  asked  my 
proselytizing  neighbour. 

"  I  repelled  his  advances ;  but,  answering  his 
own  question,  he  continued  : 

*'  '  You  may  tell  this  to  your  Metropolitan 
(Archbishop) . 

**  On  every  form  sat  one  or  two  of  the  sectaries 
engaged  in  the  same  sort  of  work. 

"  Fetler  meanwhile  continued  his  fantastic 
imaginings,  saying  that  none  could  solve  the 
problem  of  sin,  neither  man  nor  angels,  nor  God 
Himself,  as  He  was  in  heaven,  until  the  Son  of 
God  became  incarnate  and  saved  mankind. 

'*  After  explaining  the  meaning  of  the  word 
baptism,  Fetler  comes  to  the  act  itself. 

**  '  Do  you  confess/  says  he,  turning  towards 
those  sitting  in  white  robes,  *  that  by  your  own 
strength  you  could  not  get  free  from  sin  ?  ' 

**  *  Yes,'  they  answered. 

"  *  Have  you  believed  ?  ' 

**  *  We  have  believed.' 

**  *  For  how  many  years  do  you  promise  to  serve 
Jesus  ?  ' 

"  *  For  the  whole  of  our  hfe.* 

**  The  baptistery  is  uncovered  ;  the  bearded 
mouzhik  gets  into  the  water  and  leads  in  one  by 


112  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

one  the  white-robed  candidates,  with  the  words, 
'  I  baptize  you  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost/ 

*'  The  whole  auditorium  was  in  dead  silence, 
listening  to  the  stirring  of  the  waters.  Then 
there  were  heard  groans  of  disapproval.  Some 
Orthodox  men  were  trembling  like  a  leaf  ;  some 
women  were  almost  tearing  asunder  their  clothes. 
With  the  rapidity  of  a  bullet  others  were  fleeing 
out  of  the  hall.  Among  the  public  arose  con- 
versation and  dissatisfaction.  But  Fetler  quietly 
began  to  sing  and  play  the  harmonium.  A  table 
with  bread  and  wine  was  placed.  The  laying-on 
of  hands  and  the  Eucharist  followed. 

"  Oh  !  is  not  this  the  same  insane  fooHng  about 
the  Sacrament  as  the  heathen  used  to  practise 
when  they  arranged  comedies  about  holy  things 
to  please  the  devil  and  his  servants  ? 

"  Why,  Fetler  also  says  that  he  does  not  care 
a  bit  for  the  orthodox  water  baptism,  nor  for 
bread  and  wine,  that  he  does  not  acknowledge 
the  holy  faith  of  the  Tsar ;  and  he  denies  that 
in  the  Divine  Eucharist  Christians  really  unite 
with  Christ,  receiving  His  Divine  Body  and 
Blood.  For  Fetler  publicly  rejects  our  Holy 
Sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  anointing  with 
oil. 

"  Rise  up,  O  Cap  of  the  great  Monomach  ! 
Let  the  eyes  of  Vladimir  (Metropolitan  of  Moscow) 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  113 

see  what  is  being  done  in  his  diocese.  Look  up, 
Fedor  Ivanovitch,  and  ye,  silent  ones,  blessed 
Tsars,  see  how  holy  Moscow  is  being  defiled  by 
foreign  dirt  !  Arise,  ye  high  and  holy  ones,  for 
a  greater  peril  has  come  upon  us  than  that  of 
the  Tartars.  No  Khan,  no  defiled  Tartar  ever 
touched  our  sanctuary.  Where  art  thou,  O 
Peter,  first  of  the  saints  ?  Hast  thou  lost  thy 
power  ?  And  ye,  men  of  God,  most  blessed 
Alexei  and  Jona,  terrible  even  to  Napoleon,  have 
ye  also  left  us  ? 

**  Come  down  to  us,  unhappy  ones,  O  Holy 
Phihp,  pillar  of  orthodoxy  !  For  it  is  not  the 
blood  of  the  unbaptised  that  is  trampled  down, 
but  now  even  the  Blood  of  the  Covenant  is  counted 
an  unholy  thing  and  the  Spirit  of  Grace  is  offended. 
A  foolery  is  being  committed  and  a  sacrilege 
against  the  most  holy  Sacraments  and  the  holy 
faith  of  the  Tsar.  Foreign  hoohgans  are  killing 
not  mortal  bodies,  but  immortal  spirits. 

"  No  more  do  we  call  to  the  living ;  we  appeal 
to  you,  O  heavenly  advocates." 

The  principal  entrance  to  the  Moscow  Kremhn 
is  called  the  "  Redeemer's  Gate."  Over  it  rises 
to  a  considerable  height  a  soUd-looking  windowless 
square  tower  painted  red,  which  is  surmounted 
by  a  smaller  clock-tower,  and  terminates  in  a 
graceful  golden  spire.  Above  the  narrow  arch- 
way has  hung,  from  time  immemorial,  an  ikon 

8 


114  THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

of  our  Lord  Jesus.  Every  person  passing  beneath 
that  "  holy  picture  "  reverently  removes  his  hat. 
Should  he  be  forgetful,  it  will  be  unceremoniously 
removed  for  him.  Many  traditional  stories  are 
told  of  this  ikon  :  how  it  has  miraculously  with- 
stood the  artillery  fire  of  invaders,  defeated  the 
sacrilege  of  plunderers  greedy  for  its  valuable 
setting,  and  shielded  the  city  from  all  manner 
of  evil. 

The  real  Redeemer  of  mankind  is  greater  than 
any  picture  of  Him.  It  is  to  Him  alone  in 
His  power  to  save  and  bless  that  the  Moscow 
preachers  direct  the  crowds  who  flock  to  hear  the 
Divine  message  from  their  lips.  Like  Paul,  they 
can  say,  "  Him  we  preach,  warning  every  man, 
and  teaching  every  man,  that  we  may  present 
every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 

NOTE 

A  few  elucidations  of  the  above  article,  which  has 
been  translated  from  the  Moscow  Russkoe  Zemlya,  are 
needful  to  make  its  allusions  clear  to  the  British 
reader. 

The  writer's  invocation  to  the  saints  is  picturesquely 
Russian. 

He  deplores  that  the  appeal  to  earthly  powers  against 
Mr.  Fetler  is  in  vain.  He  turns,  therefore,  to  heavenly 
powers  ;  not  to  God,  be  it  noted,  but  to  the  blessed 
dead,  the  "heavenly  advocates."  Of  these,  three  were 
Tsars  and  three  were  bishops  of  Moscow. 

"  Ye  silent  ones,  blessed  Tsars,  see  how  holy  Moscow 
ts  being  defiled  with  foreign  dirt."     All  the  Tsars  before 


THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW  115 

Peter  the  Great — Ruric  and  Romanoff — were  buried 
in  the  Moscow  Kremlin.  A  life-size  effigy,  arrayed  in 
white,  stands  at  the  head  of  each  tomb. 

Some  of  these  had  themselves  defiled  Moscow  pretty 
thickly  with  dirt.  Ivan  the  Cruel,  contemporary  of 
our  Henry  VIII.  (Henry  married  six  wives,  Ivan  seven) 
often  bespattered  the  great  Red  Square  of  the  city  with 
the  blood  of  his  tortured  victims. 

(i)  Vladimir  Monomachus  was  crowned  in  a.d.  1133. 
He  was  a  devout  and  wise  monarch.  Some  of  his  prayers 
and  exhortations  are  preserved.  Said  he  :  *'  It  is  not 
fasting,  nor  solitude,  nor  monastic  life  that  will  procure 
eternal  life,  but  only  doing  good." 

Monomachus  interests  us  especially,  because  he  mar- 
ried an  English  princess — Gytha,  daughter  of  brave 
King  Harold. 

The  cap  of  Monomachus  I  take  to  mean  his  crown, 
preserved  in  the  Kremlin  treasury,  and  used  in  the  corona- 
tion services. 

(2)  Tsar  Feodor  Ivanovitch  was  the  second  son  of  Ivan 
the  Cruel.  His  elder  brother  had  been  struck  dead 
by  his  inhuman  father  with  an  iron-shod  walking-stick. 
Feodor  was  a  weak-witted  man,  whose  gentle  manners 
were  an  inexpressible  relief  from  the  ferocious  habits 
of  his  predecessor.  At  his  funeral  the  Muscovites  spoke 
of  him  as  "  this  angel  of  sweetness." 

(3)  "  Most  blessed  Alexis  "  (1645-76)  was  probably 
the  very  wisest  Tsar  Russia  ever  had.  An  Englishman 
at  his  court  said  that  he  would  often  stand  in  church  for 
hours  at  a  time  in  devout  attendance  at  the  services. 
He  would  have  enjoyed  Mr.  Fetler's  preaching.  He 
was  most  attentive  to  the  patriarch  Nikon,  who  intro- 
duced preaching  into  Russian  services. 

With  Tsar  Alexis,  the  three  following  Metropolitans 
of  Moscow  are  together  called  "  the  four  great  pillars 
of  the  Holy  Orthodox  Church." 


ii6   THE  DEFILEMENT  OF  HOLY  MOSCOW 

(i)  "Peter,  first  of  the  saints,"  is  not  the  apostle  Peter, 
He  was  the  first  primate  of  Moscow.  Mouravieff,  the 
historian,  says  he  predicted  the  greatness  of  Moscow 
and  of  Russia  nearly  six  centuries  ago. 

(2)  "  Jona,  terrible  even  to  Napoleon,"  succeeded  to 
the  patriarchal  throne  by  deposing  his  predecessor, 
Basil,  and  putting  out  his  eyes.  There  is  a  legend  that 
Napoleon,  when  in  Moscow,  sacrilegiously  removed  the 
lid  from  the  cofi&n  of  this  saint.  Jona  rebuked  the 
outrage  by  lifting  his  hand  and  shaking  his  finger  at 
Napoleon,  at  which  the  Emperor,  terrified,  fled  from 
the  city. 

(3)  "  Holy  Philip  "  was  primate  in  the  dark  days  of 
Ivan  the  Cruel.  He  dared  to  rebuke  the  tyrant  in 
the  name  of  God  for  his  enormities.  For  this  he  was 
banished,  and  ultimately  strangled. 

The  Russkoe  Zemlya  is  the  organ  of  the  "  Black  Hun- 
dred," euphemistically  called  "  The  Union  of  the 
Russian  People  (Soynz  Russkavo  Naroda)."  Europe 
has  heard  much  of  the  crimes  perpetrated  by  this  sinister 
organisation. 


\ 

\ 


VOICES   OF    HOLY    KIEFF 


XI 

VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF 

DO  you  know  the  dignity  of  Kieff  ?  More 
than  even  Moscow,  with  its  five  hundred 
churches  and  twenty-two  monasteries,  Kieff  is 
the  spiritual  head  of  the  empire.  Kieff  claims 
precedence  as  the  original  capital  of  Russia. 
Tradition  tells  of  the  visit  of  St.  Andrew  the 
apostle  to  the  hills  upon  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Dnieper. 

*'  Look  upon  these  heights,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  They  shall  yet  shine  with  the  grace  of  God. 
Here  shall  a  great  city  be  built,  wherein  shall  be 
many  Christian  altars." 

I.  The  voice  of  Kieff  commanded  all  the  realm 
to  become  Christian,  when  Vladimir,  the  first 
Christian  king,  embraced  the  faith  in  Kieff. 
With  swift  submissiveness,  the  entire  population 
crowded  into  the  broad  waters  of  the  majestic 
Dnieper  to  be  baptized.  Among  the  rest,  Vladi- 
mir's six  wives  and  twelve  sons  were  thus 
made  Christians.  But  the  most  thrilling  scene 
of  that  eventful  day  a  thousand  years  ago  was 
the  dragging  down  and  overthrow  into  the  river 

119 


120  VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF 

of  the  great  god  Perun,  the  Russian  Thor,  an 
immense  wooden  deity  with  head  of  silver  and 
flowing  beard  of  gold.  The  Russians  have  ever 
been  believers  in  bushy  beards  ;  holding  it  to  be 
a  Divine  precept  :  "  Thou  shalt  not  trim  the 
corners  of  thy  beard.'* 

When  Perun  floated  away  from  Kieff  on  the 
waters  of  the  Dnieper,  with  it  went  the  outward 
authority  of  heathenism  from  Russia  ;  and  in 
Perun's  ancient  place  Greek  Orthodox  Christianity 
took  her  seat,  where  she  still  remains  enthroned. 
Much,  however,  of  real  heathenism  remained  ; 
nor  is  it  eradicated  until  this  day. 

Kieff  has  well  been  called  the  Canterbury 
of  Russia.  Hither  come  pilgrims  in  thousands 
upon  thousands,  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
to  pay  homage  at  the  shrines  of  St.  Anthony, 
St.  Andrew  and  St.  Vladimir.  From  time  to 
time  the  great  Councils  of  the  Russian  Church 
are  held  in  this  city  of  innumerable  golden  cupolas 
and  domes,  where  is  situated  the  celebrated  mis- 
sionary monastery,  the  Pekherskoe  Lavra.  This 
monastery,  according  to  Mouravieff,  was  founded 
by  the  tears  and  fastings  and  prayers  and  vigils 
of  St.  Anthony. 

2.  The  significance  of  three  resolutions  passed 
at  a  recent  ecclesiastical  council  in  Kieff,  held 
in  August  1908,  cannot  be  overlooked.  The 
first   resolution    petitioned   the    Government    to 


VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF         121 

"  forbid  the  entry  into  Russia  of  missionaries 
of  foreign  religions."  In  this  they  are  only 
emphasizing  the  ancient  policy  of  the  Russian 
Empire.  No  State,  not  even  Rome  itself,  has 
held  more  absolutely  the  doctrine  of  the  indi- 
visible oneness  of  State  and  Church  than  has 
Russia.  In  that  empire  the  faithful  own  alle- 
giance to  no  foreign  priest  or  conclave.  The 
Tsar  himself  is  the  fountain-head  of  ecclesiastical 
authority.  The  Most  Holy  Governing  Synod, 
with  a  layman  for  Ober-Procmeur,  is  the  Tsar's 
organ  of  government. 

Hitherto  *'  foreign  religions  "  have  been  per- 
mitted in  Russia,  but  on  rigid  conditions.     The 
Greek  Orthodox  boast  of  their  tolerance,  pointing 
to  the  great  variety  of  churches— in  St.  Peters- 
burg,    for    instance,     "Armenian,     Protestant, 
Roman  Cathohc,  Sunnite  and  Schiite  places  of 
prayer."     True  ;    but  each  little  flock  has  been 
jealously  penned  within  its  fold,  and  the  sheep 
have  wisely  kept  their  heads  inside  to  save  their 
skulls.     No  faith  has  liberty  to  roam  at  large 
in  Russia  except  the  Greek  Orthodox  ;   and  even 
the  liberty  promised  by  the  Ukase  of    Easter 
1905,  and  enjoyed  boldly  by  the  people  these 
three  years,  may  be  withdrawn  at  any  time  by 
a  breath  from  the  Tsar's  hps. 

The  Salvation  Army  look  with  longing  eyes 
upon  this  promising  field,  and  the  Army  leaders 


122         VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF 

have    sought    permission    to    enter    Russia.     In 
passing  through  Finland,    General   Booth's   fol- 
lowers are  in  many  places  in  evidence  in  their 
familiar  quiet  uniform.  There  is  but  a  stepbetween 
Finland  and   Russia  geographically,   but  politi- 
cally between  the  two  there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed, 
and  to  bridge  it  by  giving  to  Russia  the  full  re- 
ligious liberty  enjoyed  in  Finland  the  authorities 
would  have  to  abandon   for  ever  their  ancient 
ecclesiastical  poHcy.     We  hold  that  there  would 
be  great  gain  in  this  to  Russia  ;    Great  Britain 
admires  and  loves  General  Booth  ;  in  the  opinion 
of   other  nations   the   Salvation   Army  and   its 
activities  make  for  good  morals  and  loftier  ideals 
in  the  community ;    but  these  protestations  are 
all  beside  the  mark.     Other  nations  are  outside 
the    Orthodox    Church— there's    the    difference. 
There  is  a  semi-Oriental  pride  and  passion  of 
attachment  to  their  religio-racial  ideals,  call  it 
fanaticism  if  you  will,  that  presents  a  barrier- 
hitherto  insuperable— to  incoming  propagandists 
of  the  younger  Western  varieties  of  the  creed 
of  our  common  Christendom.     The  spiritual  re- 
generation of  Russia  will  not  come  from  without. 
It  has  already  begun  from  within  !     The  leaven 
is  working,  and  the  holy  city  of  Kieff  itself  attests 
the  fact,  as  will  be  seen  presently. 

The  second  reactionary  resolution  adopted  by 
the  Holy  Orthodox  in  Kieff    was  an  appeal  to 


VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF  123 

the  Synod  to  cease  issuing  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  minus  the  Apocrypha.  Only  as  re- 
cently as  1907,  after  many  requests  from  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the  Holy 
Synod,  which  supphes  the  Society  with  all  its 
Russian  and  Slavonic  Bibles  and  portions,  agreed 
to  print  the  Old  Testament  in  Russian  without 
the  Apocrypha.  The  Society,  being  a  Protestant 
institution,  cannot  assist  in  circulating  the 
Apocrypha.  At  once  the  Society  ordered  an 
edition  of  twenty-five  thousand  copies,  and 
these  were  eagerly  bought  by  the  pubhc.  And 
now  the  voice  of  Kieff  is  heard  condemning  the 
issue  ;  consequently  when  the  B.F.B.S.,  a  month 
or  two  later,  ordered  another  large  supply,  the 
Holy  Synod  declined  to  reprint. 

The  third  and  most  despotic  resolution  of  the 
Council  was  one  adopting  regulations  to  restrict 
the  propagandist  operations  of "  sectants."  These 
illegal  regulations  provided  that  no  persons  other 
than  enrolled  members  of  any  non-Orthodox 
church  might  be  allowed  to  attend  its  services. 
Each  church  was  to  be  required  to  supply  to  the 
authorities  a  hst  of  the  names  and  addresses  of 
its  members.  The  pastor  was  to  sign  an  under- 
taking that  he  would  admit  no  other  persons  to 
the  meetings.  If  any  others  were  discovered 
attending,  the  premises  were  to  be  closed. 

The  immediate  effect  of  these  regulations  was 


124  VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF 

that  prayer  halls  were  closed  everywhere.  Evan- 
gehcal  preachers  promptly  declined  to  sign  the 
undertaking,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  an  illegal 
demand.  Arrests  and  imprisonments  for  being 
present  at  meetings  took  place  in  several  cities. 
Ultimately  the  regulations  were  seen  to  be  con- 
trary to  the  Ukase  of  the  Emperor,  and  they  were 
withdrawn. 

3.  In  1908,  for  the  first  time  in  Russian  his- 
tory, Kieff  uttered  yet  another  voice.  The  echoes 
of  it  have  resounded  throughout  the  land.  The 
Russian  Baptists  held  a  Convention,  and  actually 
in  Kieff  !  Delegates  from  many  little  churches 
of  simple  Stundist  peasants  scattered  through- 
out the  southern  provinces  climbed  eagerly 
the  steep  streets  of  the  city  to  their  meetings. 
They  had  a  most  encouraging  tale  to  tell  each 
other,  for  the  movement  is  very  much  ahve. 
It  is  no  importation  of  an  exotic  religion.  It 
has  arisen  among  the  people  themselves.  All 
its  present  leaders  are  true  Russians,  and  their 
activities  are  self-sustained,  including  a  college 
for  the  training  of  their  preachers.  The  fire 
burns  brightly  across  the  vast  steppes  of  South 
Russia,  and  away  among  the  far  Caucasian  moun- 
tains. A  number  of  these  Russian  brethren 
attended  the  Baptist  Congress  held  in  the  autumn 
of  1908  in  Berlin,  where  their  presence  excited 
the  liveliest  interest. 


VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF  125 

Even  so  long  ago  as  1891,  in  the  Orthodox 
Congress  convened  by  that  notorious  inquisitor- 
general  Pobiedonostzeff,  it  was  complained  that 
Dissent  was  raising  its  audacious  head  even  with- 
in range  of  the  spiritual  guns  of  Kieff.  "  Fifteen 
years  ago  there  was  hardly  one  Protestant  in  the 
entire  Archbishopric  of  Kieff  .  .  .  now,  there 
is  hardly  a  village  free  from  the  heresy  (of  Stund- 
ism).  In  some  places  hundreds  of  families  are 
infected  by  it.  The  bishops  are  doing  their 
best  to  destroy  it,  but  it  is  increasing." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  Baptist  Con- 
vention in  Kieff  was  indulgently  smiled  upon 
by  the  civil  or  the  ecclesiastical  authorities.  On 
the  contrary,  the  application  for  permission  to 
hold  the  meetings  was  refused  ;  first  by  the 
provincial  Governor-General,  and  then  on  ap- 
peal by  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior  at  St.  Peters- 
burg. The  latter  authority  condescended  to 
state  its  reasons  for  refusing,  the  principal  of 
which  were — (i)  that  the  Baptists  were  but  a  few 
and  feeble  folk,  and  therefore  such  a  convention 
as  was  proposed  must  be  unnecessary ;  and 
(2)  Kieff  being  the  chief  seat  of  holy  orthodoxy, 
to  hold  such  a  convention  beneath  the  august 
Greek  Church  nose  would  be  an  intolerable  in- 
sult to  that  dignified  organ.  But  the  convention 
was  held  notwithstanding,  under  the  existing 
licence  under  which  Baptists  regularly  meet  for 


126  VOICES    OF    HOLY    KIEFF 

worship  in  the  city.  The  pohce  were  on  the 
alert  all  the  week  through,  and  popped  in  and 
out  of  the  meetings  very  suspiciously.  This 
made  it  necessary  that  the  proceedings  should 
consist  for  the  most  part  of  hymns,  and  prayers, 
and  Bible  readings,  with  exhortations.  Their 
deliberations  on  evangelising  plans  and  projects, 
and  the  reception  of  reports  from  their  many 
centres,  were  received  with  hymnbooks  open, 
ready  upon  the  slightest  movement  near  the 
door  to  welcome  the  newcomer  with  the  joyous 
voice  of  song. 

Will  the  civil  powers  give  heed  to  the  harsh 
voice  of  reaction  ?  Who  can  tell !  The  religious 
problem  in  Russia  is  at  an  intensely  interesting 
stage  at  this  moment.  The  brave  and  faithful 
evangelists  of  that  empire  need  our  most  generous 
sympathies  and  most  fervent  prayers  that  their 
faith  and  courage  may  be  sustained  in  the  present 
uncertain  hour. 


A    VISIT    TO    COUNT   LEON   TOLSTOY 


XII 
A   VISIT   TO    COUNT   LEON   TOLSTOY 

IT  is  not  easy  to  straighten  the  crooked  Hmbs 
of  the  gnarled  old  oak.  But  Mr.  Fetler 
despairs  of  no  man  alive.  An  article  of  his 
working  creed  is,  "  All  things  are  possible  to  him 
that  beheveth."  He  has  had  abundant  oppor- 
tunity of  witnessing  the  power  of  Divine  grace 
in  the  conversion  of  people  of  all  kinds,  young 
and  old.  Many  a  twisted  Russian  thorn-bush 
has  he  seen  transformed  into  an  upright  fir-tree, 
according  to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.  Mr. 
Fetler  had  it  laid  upon  his  heart  to  visit  Count 
Leon  Tolstoy  and  leave  a  Gospel  message  with 
the  venerable  and  famous  Russian. 

Count  Tolstoy,  the  champion  of  ultra-indi- 
vidualism, the  declared  enemy  of  human  laws 
and  governments,  and  the  apostle  of  pacific 
anarchy,  has  never  shown  any  friendship  towards 
Evangehcal  religion.  His  wrath  against  the 
intolerant  tyranny  of  the  pohtico-ecclesiastical 
systems  that  have  for  centuries  held  the  world 

129  g 


130    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

in  their  grip,  and  no  nation  more  absolutely  than 
his  own,  is  admirable.  The  free  West  is  with 
him.  But  his  hostility  to  those  systems  of  religion 
that  are  the  natural  outgrowth  and  expression 
of  devout  souls  uninfluenced  by  external  com- 
pulsions, and  eager  only  to  discover  and  follow 
the  truth  as  revealed  in  Nature,  in  the  Inspired 
Volume,  and  in  the  person  of  the  Son  of  God, 
perplexes  and  distresses  many  of  the  admirers 
of  this  remarkable  and  gifted  man. 

When  Mr.  Fetler  journeyed  south  from  St. 
Petersburg  a  year  or  two  ago,  to  attend  a 
convention  of  Russian  Evangelical  believers  in 
Kieff,  an  opportunity  presented  itself  to  pay 
Count  Tolstoy  a  visit.  On  his  return  journey 
he  must  needs  pass  through  Tula  and  Moscow. 
The  Count's  estates  and  country  residence  lie 
just  to  the  south  of  the  former  city.  In  the 
neighbourhood  is  also  the  home  of  an  excellent 
lady,  who  is  cordially  disposed  towards  Mr. 
Fetler's  work  in  Petersburg,  and  indeed  to  all 
work  for  God  everywhere.  Here  he  broke  his 
long  journey,  remaining  as  guest  for  a  few  days. 

Yassnaya  Polyana  ("  Bright  Home "),  the 
residence  of  the  Count,  lies  a  short  distance  out 
of  Tula.  The  road  from  the  city  runs  through 
a  great  pine  forest,  the  property  of  the  Tsar. 
The  carriage-way  leading  up  to  the  house  would 
strike  a  British  visitor  as  weedy  and  neglected. 


A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY     131 

It  is  plain  that  the  owner  pays  no  more  attention 
to  drives  and  lawns  and  gardens  than  the  ordinary 
Russian.  Giant  forest-trees  he  does  pay  attention 
to.  When  younger,  he  was  more  expert  with  his 
keen  axe  than  ever  Gladstone  was,  and  many 
a  proud  monarch  of  his  own  woods  has  he  laid 
low.  But  the  exuberant  succulent  growth  of  the 
brief  Russian  summer  is  allow^ed  to  flourish  un- 
molested. The  tall  trees  crowd  closely  about 
the  dwelling-house — a  plain  two-story  building, 
along  a  part  of  the  front  of  which  runs  a  broad 
verandah,  which  affords  a  shady  retreat  for  the 
family  on  hot  summer  days.  The  paint  is  bright 
and  fresh  upon  the  building,  after  the  Russian 
manner,  giving  a  very  pretty  and  attractive 
appearance  to  this  homestead  in  the  forest. 

As  Mr.  Fetler  approached  the  house  the  Count, 
who  was  then  nearing  his  eightieth  birthday, 
was  just  coming  out,  and  espying  the  stranger  he 
advanced  to  give  him  cordial  greeting.  It  was 
easy  to  recognise  the  novelist.  All  Russia  and 
indeed  the  world  is  familiar  with  his  broad,  rugged 
face,  so  expressive  of  tremendous  strength  of 
character,  his  thick  bushy  eyebrows,  protecting 
small  steel-grey  deep-set  eyes,  his  flowing  grey 
beard,  and  thin  wavy  locks — a  bit  of  animated 
granite.  He  wore  the  moujik's  well-known 
loose  coarse  grey  tunic  falling  to  his  knees,  and 
gathered  around  the  w^aist  in  a   leathern  belt. 


132    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

But  he  was  not  bare-footed,  as  represented  in 
Repin's  celebrated  portrait  and  in  the  plaster- 
cast  copies  of  it  in  relief,  so  familiar  in  the  shops 
of  Petersburg  and  Moscow.  His  strong,  high- 
legged  boots  are  his  own  workmanship  ;  for  one 
of  the  fundamental  articles  in  Tolstoy's  practical 
philosophy  is  :  "  Get  others  to  work  for  you  as 
little  as  possible  ;  and  do  all  that  you  can  for 
others.  Do  not  profit  by  the  drudgery  of  the 
poor  and  ignorant ;  but  use  your  own  muscles. 
Rely  upon  honest  toil,  and  begin  by  endeavouring 
to  minister  to  your  own  wants." 

The  pastor  from  St.  Petersburg  introduced 
himself  in  a  few  words. 

"  I  am  just  going  for  my  morning  walk  :  per- 
haps you  will  not  mind  keeping  me  company," 
said  the  Count  affably. 

The  novelist  and  the  evangelist,  the  veteran 
and  the  young  Christian  enthusiast,  tramped 
away  together  into  the  fields,  skirting  here  a 
patch  of  corn  rustling  in  the  breeze,  and  there  a 
stretch  of  meadow-land  in  which,  in  the  course 
of  a  few  weeks,  the  Count  would  be  busy  with 
scythe  and  fork  haymaking  like  any  common 
moujik  ;  for  Tolstoy  has  always  found  keen  enjoy- 
ment in  working  on  his  farm-land. 

"  Every  man  ought  to  do  enough  work  with  his 
hands  each  day  to  maintain  himself,"  he  said  on 
one  occasion. 


A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY     133 

The  fragrant  breath  of  early  summer  was 
among  the  trees  as  they  entered  the  wood.  The 
world  was  awaking,  and  had  begun  to  put  on  her 
beautiful  garments.  Mr.  Fetler  had  just  come 
from  Kieff.  Tolstoy  was  interested  to  learn 
his  impressions  of  the  celebrated  holy  city  and 
its  unending  crowds  of  pilgrim-visitors.  Emerg- 
ing upon  the  high  road,  they  encountered  several 
of  these  very  men,  the  long-haired  mendicant 
pilgrims  in  dirt  and  rags  so  common  in  Russian 
hamlets  and  highways  in  the  summer-time. 
Seeing  the  Count,  they  approached  him,  bowing 
low,  and  asking  alms. 

"  No  !  I  have  nothing  for  you.  I  have  given 
all  I  can  give,"  he  said  curtly. 

"  Our  wants  are  but  few,  little  father,"  they 
replied  meekly,  as  they  turned  to  go  on  their 
way. 

Count  Tolstoy  lingered  in  the  roadway  in- 
tently observing  the  retreating  figures  ;  and 
Mr.  Fetler  stood  silently  watching  the  Count's 
eager  face. 

"  I  cannot  let  them  go,  unaided,"  he  presently 
muttered  to  himself.  He  groped  in  his  pocket 
and  brought  out  a  few  kopecks. 

"  Edeete  siuda  (Come  here)  !  I  will  find  some- 
thing for  you,  brothers." 

The  beggar-men  turned  their  impassive  faces, 
and  seeing  the  proffered  coins,  came  forward  and 


134    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

took  them  with  many  expressions  of  humihty 
and  gratitude.  The  Count's  rugged  face  Hghted 
up  with  a  smile,  and  his  eyes  followed  their  re- 
treating figures  admiringly,  almost  affectionately, 
as  they  went  on  their  way. 

"  If  I  were  younger,  I  would  live  a  pilgrim- 
hfe  myself,"  he  said.  "  To  my  mind  it  attains 
the  highest  ideal.  Jesus  was  a  pilgrim.  To  that 
life  He  called  His  disciples." 

"  We  may  be  His  disciples  without  going  on 
pilgrimage,"  replied  the  evangelist. 

The  conversation,  thus  started  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  personal  religion,  was  taken  up  warmly, 
the  younger  man,  while  defending  his  own  views, 
paying  respect  to  the  opinions  of  his  host.  Tolstoy 
denounced  the  doctrine  of  atonement  by  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  "  crude  and  coarse." 
When  Mr.  Fetler  appealed  to  the  New  Testament 
on  the  subject,  the  novelist  cut  him  short  with  : 

"  My  New  Testament  is  much  smaller  than 
yours.  I  reject  a  great  deal  that  you  ac- 
cept." 

"  By  what  authority  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Fetler. 

"  Ah  !  "  replied  Tolstoy.  "  My  own  opinion, 
of  course." 

"  That  authority  may  satisfy  you,  but  it  can- 
not affect  anyone  else,  you  see.  But  what  parts 
of  the  New  Testament  do  you  reject  ?  " 

"  All  the  miracle-stories,  for  example." 


A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY     135 

"  You  surely  accept  the  resurrection  of  our 
Lord  ?  " 

*'  No,  I  do  not.  I  see  no  necessity  for  it.  He 
said,  '  It  is  finished.'  His  Ufe-work  was  done 
when  He  was  put  to  death.  Why  should  He  lise 
again  ?  " 

"  But  we  beHeve  in  a  living  Saviour.  '  He 
ever  liveth.'  We  look  for  His  appearing.  It 
is  the  hope  of  all  true  Christians.  *  This  same 
Jesus  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have 
seen  Him  go.'  " 

"  I  have  no  such  expectation.  If  some  one 
were  to  come  here  to  us  now,  and  tell  us  that  the 
risen  Christ  has  arrived  in  Yassnaya  Polyana, 
and  is  walking  in  the  garden  over  there,  I  would 
not  care  to  go  and  have  a  look  at  Him.  It  is 
mere  superstition.  He  has  been  dead  for  nearly 
two  millenniums." 

"  Paul  bases  the  whole  Christian  religion  on 
the  fact  of  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord.  '  If 
Christ  be  not  risen,  your  faith  is  vain.'  " 

"  Do  not  quote  Paul  to  me.  I  do  not  beheve 
in  Paul." 

"  Do  you  reject  his  writings  also,  as  inspired  ?  *' 
"  Inspired  ?  Yes.  How  can  they  be  inspired  ? 
Does  he  not  command  you  to  be  obedient  to 
governments  ?  Paul  has  been  the  sure  prop  of 
every  atrocious  tyranny  that  has  masqueraded 
under  the  guise  of  authority." 


136    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

"  There  you  grievously  misrepresent  not  only 
Paul,  but  also  the  whole  of  the  Scripture  teaching 
respecting  civil  obligations." 

**  How  so  ?  It  is  plain  enough  :  '  Let  ever}^- 
body  be  obedient  to  the  authorities.'  They  are 
his  words." 

"  If  you  will  read  the  passage  in  full  you  will 
see  that  Paul  was  developing,  to  these  early 
believers,  the  rules  of  Jesus  Christ's  kingdom  ;  the 
rules  of  peace,  and  unselfishness,  and  love,  and 
humility.  Such  rules  obviously  forbid  setting 
oneself  up  against  governments  ;  and  particu- 
larly that  ideal  government  that  '  encourages 
good  works  and  is  the  terror  of  evildoers/  to 
which  Paul  especially  refers. 

"  You  must  also  remember,  Count,  that  the 
Scriptures  and  Paul  do  not  command  an  indis- 
criminate obedience  to  whatever  the  rulers  of  this 
world  may  ordain.  This  is  clearly  seen  from  the 
example  of  the  apostles  themselves,  who,  when 
charged  by  those  in  authority  with  disobedience, 
replied, '  Weought  to  obey  God  rather  than  man.' " 

The  Count  was  silent ;  and  Mr.  Fetler,  lifting  up 
his  heart  to  heaven,  prayed  that  the  right  word 
might  be  given  him  in  speaking  to  Tolstoy  about 
a  much  more  important  matter,  his  own  spiritual 
condition. 

*'  Count  Tolstoy,  forgive  me  for  asking  you  a 
very  personal  question." 


A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON   TOLSTOY     137 

"  What  is  it  ?  "    he  inquired. 

"  You  have  held  and  circulated  your  views  of 
religion  and  God  and  man  for  many  years " 

"  Not  '  circulated,'  "  he  interrupted.  "  That 
is  not  my  affair.  Other  people  are  responsible 
for  that." 

"  Do  your  views  content  you  ?  Do  they 
prepare  you  for  death  and  for  eternity  ?  " 

"  They  satisfy  me  now.  What  may  be  after- 
ward I  do  not  know." 

"  Those  parts  of  the  Bible  that  you  reject  speak 
of  a  judgment  to  come " 

"  I  know — I  know." 

"  And  of  a  Saviour  of  sinners,  w^ho  through  His 
death  prepares  us  to  face  that  judgment." 

"  I  cannot  listen  to  you,"  he  cried  impatiently. 
"  Much  better  is  it  for  us  to  walk  in  silence  than 
to  speak  so  unprofitably." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  offend  you,"  said  Mr. 
Fetler.     "  I  felt  compelled  to  speak  thus." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  you  could  be  compelled. 
What  compelled  you  ?  " 

"  Like  yourself  I  have  discovered  certain  truths 
that  satisfy  my  own  soul — give  me  peace  and  joy, 
and  hope  for  the  great  hereafter.  But  unlike 
you,  who  disclaim  all  responsibility  for  the 
opinions  and  lives  of  other  people,  I  am  under 
my  Master's  command  to  tell  '  every  creature  ' 
what  I  know,  and  to  urge  them  to  repent  of  sin 


138    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

and  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus.  I  should  be  dis- 
obedient if  I  were  silent." 

"  Each  man's  duty  is  to  discover  truth  for 
himself,"  he  retorted.  "  My  views  are  sufficient 
for  myself." 

"  How,  then,  is  that  consistent  with  loving 
one's  neighbour  as  oneself  ?  " 

"  Well,  here  is  the  house  :  come  in  and  take  a 
little  refreshment." 

Yassnaya  Polyana  is  the  Count's  summer  resi- 
dence. WTien  winter  draws  near  the  family 
moves  into  Moscow,  to  the  rambling  old  mansion 
in  Hamovnicheski  Lane,  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
city.  Although  Tolstoy  has  been  excommunicated 
by  the  Greek  Church,  yet  "the  holy  picture" 
still  hangs  in  its  accustomed  place  in  the  corner 
of  honour  in  the  house,  with  the  familiar  lighted 
lamp  in  front.  Countess  Tolstoy  is  a  devout 
Orthodox,  and  in  all  domestic  matters  not  per- 
sonal to  her  husband,  her  inchnation  is  the  law 
of  the  home. 

The  Count  willingly  accepted  a  selection  of 
Gospel  leaflets  lately  written  by  a  talented  Chris- 
tian lady  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  published  in 
that  city.  It  is  not  long  ago  since  Tolstoy 
denounced  the  art  and  practice  of  printing  as 
the  contrivance  of  a  particularly  cunning  devil, 
who  has  made  it  his  business  to  give  the  widest 
circulation  to  the  most  foolish  and  often  infamous 


A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY     139 

thoughts  and  actions  of  mankind.  The  Bread  of 
Life  is  also  in  the  printed  page,  and  help,  and 
treasures,  and,  above  all,  Gospel  grace.  When  Mr. 
Fetler  entered,  a  New  Testament  lay  open  upon  the 
table,  and  one  of  Tolstoy's  disciples  sat  reading  it. 
Count  Tolstoy  is  a  philanthropist  and  a  philo- 
sopher. As  a  philanthropist  he  is  keenly  con- 
scious of  the  sinful  and  squalid  existence  of  the 
masses  of  his  fellow-men.  As  a  philosopher  he 
prescribes  for  these  ills  certain  remedies,  according 
to  his  light. 

"  On  a  rainy  Sunday  in  the  autumn,"  he  once 
wrote,  **  I  drove  in  an  omnibus  through  the 
market-place  near  the  Souhareva  tower  in  Mos- 
cow. For  about  half  a  mile  the  carriage  made 
its  way  through  a  compact  mass  of  people.  From 
morning  to  evening  do  thousands  of  human  beings, 
the  greater  part  of  whom  are  ragged  and  hungry, 
prowl  about  here  in  the  dirt,  abusing,  cheating, 
and  hating  each  other.  These  men  will  spend 
their  evenings  in  taverns  and  public-houses,  and 
the  night  in  their  corners  and  dens.  Sunday  is 
the  best  day  of  the  week  for  them.  On  Monday 
in  their  infected  dens  they  will  again  set  to  the 
work  of  which  they  are  heartily  sick.  Reflect 
what  the  lives  of  these  men  and  women  are. 
They  are  true  martyrs." 

The  philosopher  in  Tolstoy  prescribes  rules  for 
human  betterment.     They  are,  briefly— (i)  more 


140    A  VISIT  TO  COUNT  LEON  TOLSTOY 

open-air  life  ;  (2)  physical  work  ;  (3)  family  joys  ; 
(4)  much  friendly  company ;  and  (5)  sound  health.* 
These  are,  of  course,  very  excellent  ;  but  they 
remind  us  of  the  prescription  of  pills  to  cure 
an  earthquake.  Our  British  "  Count  Tolstoy," 
General  William  Booth,  like  his  Russian  contem- 
porary a  veteran  philanthropist  and  philosopher, 
has  been  brought  into  ameliorative  contact  with  a 
greater  sum-total  of  human  misery  than  probably 
any  man  who  has  ever  lived.  He  has  perceived 
that  these  economic  problems  are,  at  their  root, 
mainly  spiritual  and  personal.  His  remedy  is 
vastly  nearer  the  mark  than  those  prescribed  by 
the  seer  of  Tula.  It  is  a  remedy  sublimely  trans- 
cendental and  entirely  practical.  It  is  to  lead 
the  degraded  and  the  despairing  directly  to  Him 
who  says,  "Come  unto  Me  .  .  .  take  My  yoke 
upon  you  .  .  .  and  ye  shall  find  rest."  At  His 
feet,  squalor  disappears,  miseries  melt  away,  self- 
ishness is  slain,  and  all  manner  of  sins  are  blotted 
out  as  a  cloud. 

♦  What  I  Believe,  by  L.  Tolstoy,  trans,  by  C.  Popofi 
(Elliot  Stock),  pp.  177-81. 


RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 


XIII 

RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 

**  T  T  OW  would  Englishmen  feel,"  exclaimed 
il  Dr.  Dillon,  *'  if  a  drunken  man  could 
break  the  glass  in  the  windows  of  their  church 
or  chapel,  and  the  State  forbid  them  to  mend  them 
without  petitioning,  requesting,  bribing,  visiting 
and  otherwise  humihating  themselves  ?  But  in 
Muscovy  to  disregard  any  one  of  a  whole  net- 
work of  similar  petty  hmitations,  is  to  bring 
down  upon  one's  head  a  sentence  of  banishment 
or  hard  labour." 

The  allusion  is  to  the  law  requiring  "  sectants  " 
to  obtain  the  permission  of  the  authorities  before 
proceeding  with  any  rebuilding  or  any  repairs 
of  their  prayer  halls.  It  goes  without  saying 
that  the  permission  to  erect  such  a  building  in 
the  first  instance  is  not  particularly  easy  to  obtain  ; 
although  the  law  of  May  1883  allowed  Evan- 
gehcals  to  have  prayer-halls  on  the  same  con- 
ditions as  the  Old  Believers.       It  all  depends 

143 


144         RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 

on  the  good-will  of  the  highly-placed  tchinovnik 
to  whom  application  is  made  and  the  influences 
brought  to  bear  on  him. 

The  British  reader  at  the  mention  of  ''  prayer 
halls "  will  conjure  up  visions  of  little  neat 
detached  buildings,  red  brick,  slate  roofs,  com- 
fortably furnished,  such  as  one  is  familiar  with 
everywhere  in  this  land.  Nothing  could  be  further 
from  the  actuality,  if  we  except  one  or  two 
privately-owned  halls  in  St.  Petersburg,  those 
on  private  estates,  and  the  halls  in  certain  dis- 
tinctively "  sectarian  "  districts  in  the  far  south. 
In  the  villages  the  "  prayer  hall "  is  the  common 
izba  or  cottage  of  a  Stundist  moujik,  or  a  shed 
attached  to  a  very  primitive  farmstead  sur- 
rounded by  prodigious  quantities  of  mud,  dust, 
or  snow,  according  to  the  season  of  the  year. 
A  separate  building,  erected  expressly  for  wor- 
ship, among  the  rural  evangelicals  of  Russia  is 
a  luxury  yet  to  be  provided,  in  the  great  majority 
of  cases. 

The  meeting-place,  whether  izba  or  outhouse, 
has  walls  of  earth.  It  is  without  ceiling.  The 
floor  is  the  bare  earth,  trodden  hard  by  many 
feet  through  the  lapse  of  long  years,  and  worn 
into  humps  and  hollows.  The  walls  are  lime- 
washed  and  destitute  of  decoration  or  adornment. 
There  are  rough  wooden  benches  around  and 
across  the  room.     The  place  is  usually  packed 


RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS         145 

to  suffocation  with  men,  women  and  children 
crowded  on  the  seats,  thronging  the  doorways, 
and  huddhng  together  on  the  top  of  the  huge 
stove.  But  one  feature  is  noticeable  :  in  con- 
trast to  the  generality  of  the  hovels  of  the  moujiks, 
that  of  the  converted  peasant  is  scrupulously 
clean.  Three  of  the  earhest  signs  of  grace  in 
a  Russian  moujik's  family  are,  the  passing  of 
negligence  and  filthiness  from  the  izba,  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  ubiquitous  ikon  from  its  ac- 
customed corner,  and  the  banning  of  vodka. 

These  cottage-meetings  of  the  moujiks  have 
yielded  tremendous  results  for  the  future  of  re- 
ligion in  the  Russian  Empire.  It  was  in  the 
cottage  of  the  peasant  Sutaeff,  near  Tula,  that 
Count  Tolstoy  studied  the  Gospel  of  Christ  with 
such  fruits  as  to-day  appear.  It  was  in  a  cottage- 
meeting  on  one  of  his  estates  that  Baron  Uek- 
skiill,  the  famous  Baptist  evangelist  of  the  Baltic 
Provinces,  was  led  into  the  hght. 

In  the  great  cities,  this  "  prayer  hall  "  is  a 
room  somewhere  in  the  capacious  intricacies  of 
one  of  the  great  tenement  houses— perhaps  in  the 
cellar,  perhaps  on  the  third  floor. 

By  the  statute  law  no  authorisation  is  needed 
for  a  prayer-room  in  a  private  dwelhng-house. 
This  point  the  Governing  Senate  has  decided 
on  several  occasions.  But  Baron  Uekskiill  has 
reminded  us  that  in  his  country  the  police  are 

10 


146         RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 

above  the  law.  It  is  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side. 
**  Whatever  is  not  allowed  by  sealed  document 
is  forbidden,"  is  a  judicious  rule  to  observe. 
Raids  by  the  police,  arrests,  confiscations  of 
goods,  and  prosecutions,  even  if  you  are  ulti- 
mately successful,  are  disagreeable  experiences, 
which  petitioning,  especially  if  accompanied  by 
"  palm  oil,"  will  obviate. 

The  householder  is  a  cautious  man.  He  is 
held  responsible  by  the  authorities  if  illegal 
meetings  are  held  on  his  premises  ;  and  as  the 
fines  are  heavy,  he  is  constrained  to  be  very 
careful  as  to  his  tenants  and  their  callers.  Then, 
the  dvornik,  or  concierge,  is  usually  a  spy  in 
the  pay  (if  he  be  found  to  be  worth  it)  of  the 
police  ;  and  every  man  and  woman  who  passes 
in  and  out  at  the  central  gateway  is  suspiciously 
eyed.  Every  morning  the  dvornik  must  attend 
at  the  office  of  the  pristav,  to  present  his  record 
of  the  comings  and  goings  of  his  house  on  the 
previous  day  and  night.  If  strangers  have 
entered,  he  must  present  their  passports  for 
official  inspection  and  endorsement.  (On  the  ex- 
amination of  my  passport  an  official  was  sent 
half-way  across  the  city  to  inquire  how  old  my 
daughter  was,  as  her  age  was  not  recorded  in 
the  document  !)  They  are  particular  !  If  the 
dvornik  should  fail  to  report  a  meeting,  and  it 
should  otherwise  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the 


RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS  147 

police,  he  may  tremble  for  his  fate.  He  will 
probably  sup  on  birch  gruel  1 

It  is  a  continual  miracle  that  under  such  con- 
ditions meetings  for  prayer  and  Bible  study  have 
been,  and  are,  held  at  all.  Practically  every 
meeting  now  licensed  among  the  Russians,  as 
distinct  from  those  of  German  descent  and  other 
foreign  nationalities,  began  with  illegal  and  more 
or  less  secret  gatherings  held  in  the  teeth  of  perils 
innumerable.  It  is  credibly  stated  that  in  the 
diocese  of  Vyatka,  within  the  last  five  years, 
there  were  sixty-five  prayer  halls,  of  which  only 
five  were  licensed  by  the  Government  ;  and  in 
the  diocese  of  Nijni  Novgorod,  out  of  a  total  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty-four  prayer  halls,  only 
twelve  were  so  licensed. 

A  curious  conflict  of  authority  respecting 
prayer  halls  took  place  in  the  autumn  of  the 
year  1908.  It  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
delicate  balance  at  present  maintained  between 
a  civil  authority  that  is  progressive,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  reactionary  clericalism  on  the  other. 
A  new  life  is  beginning  to  pulsate  through  the 
long-benumbed  body  pohtic,  and  the  nerves  of 
its  enormous  bulk  tingle  painfully  in  consequence. 

The  authorities,  apparently  in  conflict,  were 
the  Most  Holy  Synod,  the  body  which  controls 
the  rehgious  Hfe  of  the  Russian  State  Church, 
and    the    Ministry    of    the    Interior,    under    the 


148  RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 

direction  of  the  Premier,  M.  Stolypin.  Mother 
Church  or  Giant  Maul  (from  whichever  standpoint 
you  look  at  the  matter)  determined  to  assert 
the  mastery  over  those  Russians  of  sectarian 
proclivities  who  had  not  succeeded  in  making 
good  their  escape  from  Greek  Orthodoxy,  sent 
round  orders  for  the  closing  of  the  unlicensed 
prayer  halls.  The  registered  meeting-places  of 
recognised  religious  bodies  complying  with  the 
regulations,  not  being  subject  to  the  Holy  Synod, 
were  not  interfered  with  ;  but  all  places  of  resort 
for  religious  meetings  not  holding  these  licences 
were  considered  to  lie  within  the  province  of  the 
Russian  ecclesiastical  authority,  and  the  police 
permits  were  peremptorily  withdrawn. 

Complaints  of  interference  with  the  little 
prayer-meetings  at  first  began  to  come  in  to  the 
Ministry  of  the  Interior  from  the  remoter  pro- 
vinces. Women  with  babies  in  their  arms  were 
dragged  from  such  gatherings  and  thrust  into  the 
rough  prisons,  while  others  were  heavily  fined 
for  being  present.  M.  Stolypin,  to  his  honour 
be  it  stated,  promptly  issued  orders,  in  the  specific 
cases  brought  to  his  notice,  that  the  meetings, 
when  held  in  conformity  with  the  regulations, 
were  to  be  allowed  to  continue.  Then  the  Ortho- 
dox Church  appears  to  have  adopted  the  bolder 
and  more  effective  policy  of  engineering,  by  means 
of  the  local  tchinovniks,  a  general  suppression  of 


RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS         149 

Evangelicalism.  Even  the  capital  city  itself  did 
not  escape  the  priestly  ban.  Gospel  meetings 
that  have  been  held  by  EvangeHcal  Christians 
in  a  quiet  way  in  St.  Petersburg  for  many  years, 
received  unpleasant  police  attention  ;  and  pre- 
mises recently  rented  and  opened  at  considerable 
expense  for  a  forward  movement  to  accommo- 
date the  eagerly  appreciative  public  were  com- 
pulsorily  closed.  For  not  many  days,  however, 
did  the  reaction  triumph.  The  halls  are  once 
again  opened  ;  and  the  liberty  granted  under 
the  Tsar's  manifesto  is  as  freely  enjoyed  as  the 
five  hundred  thousand  "  little  Tsarlets  "  scattered 
throughout  the  empire,  the  tchinovniks  of  all 
grades,  will  permit.  It  would  be  intensely  in- 
teresting to  know  what  happened  behind  the 
scenes  in  this  struggle  between  the  Premier  and 
the  Orthodox  Church.  We  may  learn  about  it 
some  day. 

Beyond  question,  many  of  the  meetings  held, 
for  example,  by  the  Stundists  of  South  Russia, 
Baptists  and  EvangeHcal  Christians,  have  been 
illegal,  being  held  either  without  licence  or 
poUce  permit.  The  manifesto  of  Easter  1905, 
while  conceding  to  the  Russian  the  privilege  of 
changing  his  rehgion  if  he  be  so  disposed, 
gave  no  right  to  hold  public  assemblies,  reli- 
gious or  other,  without  compliance  with  those 
poHce  regulations  that  require  for    the  holding 


150         RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS 

of  meetings  either  a  general  licence  or  a  special 
permit  for  a  particular  occasion.  For  a  brief  period 
after  the  coronation  of  Tsar  Alexander  III.,  in 
1882,  the  Stundists  were,  by  the  Imperial  cle- 
mency, permitted  to  hold  their  meetings  in  their 
houses  at  will,  but  this  privilege  was  soon  can- 
celled ;  and  the  people  have  since  then  been 
left,  in  their  religious  aspirations,  face  to  face 
with  a  set  of  stern  laws  and  still  sterner  tchino- 
vniks,  behind  whom  the  Holy  Synod,  uneasy 
under  the  menace  of  a  great  upheaval  and 
secession,  and  taking  huge  credit  to  itself  as  the 
upholder  of  the  majesty  of  the  laws,  from  its  lofty 
vantage-ground  seeks  to  thwart  the  spiritual 
rebels  at  every  turn.  It  would  hardly  have  been 
possible  for  the  simple  moujiks  of  many  a  Russian 
village,  who  have  embraced  Stundist  teaching 
from  itinerant  evangelists,  to  comply  with  the 
regulations  in  the  matter  of  registration  and 
licence.  They  have  but  few  leaders,  are  widely 
scattered,  are  very  poor,  are  quite  unskilled  in 
legal  technicalities,  and  have  no  periodical  litera- 
ture or  other  such  guides  and  aids  as  are  com- 
monplaces in  our  religious  life.  It  is  sufficient 
for  them  if  they  can  in  the  long  winter  evenings 
resort  to  a  neighbour's  izba  to  read  the  Scriptures 
or  learn  to  read  them,  and  pray  together  in  a 
simple  manner,  though  with  much  fervour  and 
many   tears.     The   necessity   for   taking   out    a 


RUSSIAN    PRAYER    HALLS         151 

licence  or  for  the  formidable  task  of  drawing  up 
a  formal  petition  to  the  pristav  or  the  governor 
for  a  permit  for  their  little  neighbourly  meetings 
is  not  very  obvious  to  their  artlessness.  The  secret 
meeting  is  much  more  convenient ;  and  it  is 
consequently  held.  And  in  the  brief  and  golden 
summer,  when  the  boundless  pine  forests  breathe 
forth  their  incense  and  the  birds  make  joyous 
music,  the  little  companies  naturally  prefer  the 
free  unlicensed  rendezvous  of  the  deep  glades 
and  lonely  hillsides,  and,  needing  no  permit 
from  tchinovnik  or  Tsar,  hold  their  thrilling  little 
assemblies  among  "  the  mountains  and  in  dens 
and  caves  of  the  earth." 

The  inconveniences  and  uncertainty  of  tenure 
of  the  hired  hall  make  evangelistic  work  difficult 
in  the  cities. 

The  landlord  of  a  certain  hall  in  South  Russia 
which  accommodates  about  a  thousand  persons, 
and  is  crowded  every  Sunda}^  evening,  gave  the 
evangelicals  notice  to  quit.  The  enemy  had 
cunningly  offered  an  increase  of  20  roubles  per 
month  rent.  With  much  self-denial,  the  church 
undertook  to  pay  this  extra  money,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  remain.  At  once  the  foe,  not  to 
be  beaten,  lodged  a  complaint  with  the  Governor 
that  the  hall  was  unsafe,  and  ought  to  be  closed. 

One  Sunday  afternoon  the  town  surveyor  and 
a  police  inspector  attended  the  service,  and  sat 


152         RUSSIAN    PRAYER   HALLS 

at  the  back  of  the  hall.  The  preacher,  all  un- 
aware of  the  presence  of  his  powerful  auditors, 
was  led  to  speak  of  the  Christian  duty  of  living 
orderly  and  peaceful  lives,  being  obedient  to 
authority  as  good  citizens.  The  tchinovniks 
listened  attentively.  When  the  congregation 
stood  up  to  sing,  the  inspector  marched  to  the 
front,  and  the  face  of  the  startled  preacher 
became  a  shade  paler.  The  officer  approached 
the  platform  as  though  to  speak.  The  preacher 
leaned  forward  respectfully  to  learn  his  will. 

"  What  number  is  the  hymn  ?  " 

The  preacher  gave  the  information. 

"  Where  can  we  purchase  the  books  ?  They 
are  very  good.  The  surveyor  and  I  would  like 
to  obtain  copies  for  ourselves." 

And  thus  the  threatening  cloud  melted  away 
into  the  blue  heavens.  The  report  of  the  officers 
was  satisfactory,  and  the  meetings  are  still  being 
held  in  the  hall. 


^'LO,    HERE    IS    CHRIST!    OR    THERE!" 


XIV 
''LO,    HERE    IS    CHRIST!    OR   THERE!" 

THE  prolific  multiplication  of  religious  and 
rationalistic  sects  in  Russia  was  a  remark- 
able feature  of  the  nation's  history  in  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Many  of  these  died  almost  as 
quickly  as  they  sprang  into  being  ;  some  survive 
until  this  day.  They  were  the  product  of  the 
fervent  awakening  of  the  peasantry  to  the  heart- 
chilling  spiritual  deadness  of  the  national  church 
in  general.  Much  information  respecting  many 
of  these  bodies  may  be  obtained  from  the  works 
of  Sir  D.  Mackenzie  Wallace,  E.  B.  Lanin, 
Stepniak,  and  other  authors. 

It  is  here  necessary  that  mention  should  be 
made  of  them,  in  order  that  the  reader  may 
perceive  something  of  the  peril  to  which  Evan- 
gelicalism is  exposed  in  a  country  where  the  rural 
population  (and  nine-tenths  of  the  Russian  popu- 
lation is  rural)  is  almost  entirely  illiterate,  and 
exceedingly  superstitious  and  credulous.  How 
easy  it  is  for  the  good  vessel,  when  lacking  care- 

155 


156  "  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  " 

fill  pilotage  and  deprived  of  experienced  officers,  to 
make  shipwreck  upon  the  rocks  of  error  and  folly  ! 

The  sect  of  the  Malyovantzy  is  an  apt  instance 
of  this,  and  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  many 
similar  quasi-spiritual  movements.  The  story 
of  these  people  has  been  told  in  a  booklet  pub- 
lished in  Berlin  by  an  anonymous  author.  Dr. 
Dillon  also  called  attention  to  their  singularities 
some  years  ago. 

The  Malyovantzy  sprang  from  the  Baptists 
.n  the  Government  of  Kieff.  These  had  suffered 
cruelly  at  the  hands  of  the  authorities  ;  their 
meetings  being  suppressed,  and  their  leaders  and 
teachers  sent  into  banishment.  The  Baptist 
congregations  being  thus  bereft  of  their  spiritual 
instructors,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  many 
of  them  fell  a  prey  to  grievous  errors  of  belief 
and  practice. 

Kondrat  Malyovany  had  himself  been  a  Bap- 
tist, having  been  baptised  with  other  candidates 
amid  a  scene  of  intense  religious  enthusiasm  in 
a  pond  in  the  village  of  Kerdan,  near  Kieff,  in 
the  year  1880.  He  was  of  the  peasant  class, 
married,  with  a  family  of  seven  children,  and  by 
trade  a  waggon-builder  and  wheelwright .  Shortly 
after  his  baptism,  Malyovany  was  brought  into 
touch  with  a  member  of  a  sect  of  mystics,  who 
was  confined  in  the  prison  of  the  town  in  which 
he  lived.     Malyovany  visited  the  man  in   the 


"  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  "  157 

prison,  where  they  had  many  earnest  conversa- 
tions on  the  one  absorbing  topic,  the  Word  of 
God.  These  conversations  were  destined  later  to 
bear  remarkable  fruit.  The  imprisoned  mystic, 
with  other  members  of  his  sect,  was  sent  away 
as  a  criminal  to  the  Caucasus,  to  the  prison  at 
Elizabetpol.  But  Malyovany  pondered  deeply 
upon  the  novel  and  startling  suggestions  that 
had  been  made  to  him.  A  new  world  of  thought 
was  opened  up  to  his  dazzled  mind.  With  four 
like-minded  companions,  he  read  attentively 
the  Book  of  the  Revelation  and  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecies.  Giving  a  direct  present-day 
and  local  interpretation  to  the  predictions  re- 
specting the  coming  of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  an 
overpowering  conviction  seized  them  that  Christ 
was  at  that  time  to  appear,  and  in  their  midst. 

One  morning  Malyovany  announced  to  his 
comrades  that  he  had  had  in  the  night  a  celestial 
vision.  The  heavens  had  opened,  and  a  super- 
natural voice  had  hailed  him  as  "  the  Firstborn, 
the  Son  of  God."  The  ecstatic  condition  into 
which  he  had  been  thrown  by  this  revelation 
swiftly  communicated  itself,  first  to  his  four 
friends,  who  forthwith  decided  that  they  were 
the  four  evangelists  of  the  Christ  and  heralds  of 
the  coming  Kingdom  of  God,  and  later  to  great 
numbers  of  the  people  of  the  surrounding  villages 
and  towns. 


158  "  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  ! '' 

Malyovany  appeared  in  white  garments  before 
the  crowds  who  assembled  in  front  of  his  house 
to  pay  him  their  reverent  homage.  The  scenes 
that  followed  are  almost  incredible.  The  multi- 
tude flung  themselves  upon  the  ground  before 
him,  offering  fervent  prayers  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  loud  sobs  and  many  tears.  They 
stretched  out  their  arms  towards  him  in  piteous 
supplication,  confessing  their  sins  and  reciting 
their  sorrows.  Malyovany  looked  around  upon 
the  kneeling  people  with  an  expression  of  great 
tenderness,  and  lifting  up  his  hands  to  heaven, 
declaimed  against  the  sinfulness  of  mankind, 
urging  his  hearers  to  repentance  and  good  works, 
and  laying  especial  emphasis  upon  the  necessity 
of  cherishing  mutual  love  in  their  hearts  (a  car- 
dinal doctrine  with  them),  and  of  believing  in 
himself  as  "  the  Firstborn,  the  Son  of  God  upon 
the  earth." 

"  The  Kingdom  of  God,"  he  cried,  **  is  about 
to  appear  among  men  ;  but  they  who  would 
enter  in  must  be  prepared  grievously  to  suffer 
for  its  sake.     Thus  all  the  prophets  declare." 

But  Malyovany  was  not  to  be  allowed  to  assert 
his  divine  dignity  and  authority  without  a  rival. 
There  wandered  into  those  parts  a  religious  pil- 
grim [hogomoltzy ,  they  are  called)  named  Tschek- 
mareff,  who  hailed  from  the  north-east.  He  also 
believed  that  he  was  the  incarnate  and  Eternal 


•'  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  "  159 

Son  ;  but  he  had  not  hitherto  made  pubhc  his 
claim.  This  man  sought  an  interview  with 
Malyovany,  and  communicated  to  him  his  inward 
conviction.  Here  was  an  impasse.  There  could 
not  possibly  be  two  Christs  !  Malyovany  was 
sorely  perplexed.  However,  after  a  few  mo- 
ments' reflection,  he  turned  to  the  new-comer 
and  said  : 

"  Tschekmareff ,  Hsten  to  me.  If  you  beUeve 
that  I  am  not  the  Firstborn,  and  that  you  are, 
I  will  certainly  give  up  my  claim  and  recognise 
yours,  and  become  your  humble  disciple.  The 
Kingdom  of  God  has  certainly  come.  How 
blest  are  we  who  have  brought  it  to  mankind  !  " 
Tschekmareff  was  so  overcome  by  the  ready 
self-abnegation  of  the  other,  that  he  at  once 
surrendered  his  claim,  and  acknowledged  that  of 
his  rival. 

*'  Truly  thou  art  indeed  the  Firstborn,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  I  will  be  thy  forerunner.  I  am 
none  other  than  John  the  Baptist  !  " 

The  illiterate  Baptist  peasantry  of  the  district, 
being  deprived  by  the  persecutions  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  their  trusted  instructors  and  leaders, 
fell  an  easy  prey  in  great  numbers  to  the  fan- 
tastical pretensions  of  these  neurotic  visionaries. 
Very  speedily  Malyovany  secured  about  three 
hundred  followers.  Roman  Catholics  and  Greek 
Orthodox  moujiks  swelled  the  numbers  of  his 


i6o  '^LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  " 

disciples.  Some  of  the  Malyovantzy  outdid 
their  leaders  in  the  frenzy  of  their  imaginary 
revelations  from  heaven.  One  Philip  Krivenko, 
a  builder,  pondered  long  on  the  words,  "  I,  if  I  he 
lifted  lip  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me.'* 

"  He  will  draw  me  up — up  to  glory,"  he  re- 
flected. '*  That  is  surely  what  the  verse  means. 
O  that  I  had  faith  to  believe  it  !  " 

One  day  he  was  at  work  upon  the  scaffolding 
of  a  building.  There  came  to  him  a  beautiful 
angel  hovering  in  the  air  (so  he  declared  after- 
wards) . 

"  Philip,  Philip,  make  a  spring  towards  m.e, 
and  I  will  carry  thee  up  to  heaven  !  " 

''  I  dare  not,"  answered  Krivenko.  "  I  should 
be  killed.     See  the  rough  stones  lying  below  !  " 

"  Philip,  Philip,  hast  thou  forgotten  the  words 
of  Scripture,"  answered  the  angel  reproachfully: 
"  *  They  shall  hear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest  thou 
dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone  '  ?  Come,  brother, 
come  to  me  !  " 

And  thereupon  two  angels  appeared  beside 
him  on  the  scaffold,  and  seizing  him  each  by  an 
arm,  flew  out  with  him  towards  the  angel  in 
mid-air.  Krivenko  fell  to  the  ground  with  a 
tremendous  scream,  where  later  he  was  found 
shockingly  injured,  lying  in  a  pool  of  blood. 

A  similar  accident,  the  fruit  of  like  fanaticism, 
befel  in  a  neighbouring  village  a  peasant  named 


"  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE !  "  i6i 

Janko  Manzapara.  Formerly  a  Roman  Catholic, 
he  had  adopted  the  beliefs  of  the  Malyovantzy, 
and  persuaded  himself  that  he  was  gifted  with 
superhuman  levitation  and  powers  of  flight. 
He  climbed  a  high  ladder,  and  leaping  out  into 
the  air,  crashed  to  earth  a  mangled  mass. 

Instances  might  be  multipHed  of  the  most 
fantastic  dreams  being  construed  into  divine 
revelations,  and  as  such  being  reverently  accepted 
by  the  Malyovantzy. 

The  movement  caused  such  intense  excite- 
ment in  the  Kieff  province  that  the  police  inter- 
fered and  arrested  Malyovany,  whom  they  re- 
garded as  demented.  The  meetings  of  his  dis- 
ciples were  broken  up,  and  his  followers  were 
very  roughly  handled.  The  Greek  Orthodox 
popes  eagerly  lent  their  aid  in  the  maltreatment 
of  these  misguided  people.  They  were  in  some 
cases  beaten  mercilessly,  even  until  their  Hmbs 
were  crushed  and  broken.  The  more  prominent 
members  were  put  into  prison. 

Meanwhile,  new  adherents  were  attracted ; 
and  even  when  at  last  Malyovany  was  confined 
in  a  madhouse  in  Kieff,  the  sect  continued  to 
grow. 

The  tenets  accepted  by  the  Malyovantzy  are 
deserving  of  notice.  They  resemble  in  some  of 
their  features  those  of  the  earlier  Dukhobortzy 
and  other  Russian  mystics.     The  Scripture  his- 

II 


i62  *'  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  " 

tones  are  regarded  as  parables  and  allegories. 
The  Gospel  narratives  too  are  said  to  represent 
inward  and  spiritual  experiences  only,  and  ought 
therefore  to  be  interpreted  esoterically. 

A  considerable  knowledge  of  the  letter  of  the 
Scriptures,  the  Malyovantzy  had  obtained  among 
the  Baptists  ;  it  being  the  practice  of  the  latter 
to  commit  entire  chapters  to  memory.  A  Russian 
writer — no  friend,  by  the  way,  to  that  denomina- 
tion— has  left  on  record  this  witness  :  "Of  all 
the  Russian  sects,  the  Baptists  have  the  greatest 
knowledge  of  the  Bible."  But  the  Malyovantzy 
differ  widely  from  the  Baptists  in  their  principles 
of  interpretation.  They  beheve  that  to  them 
have  been  given  the  final  revelation  from  God, 
the  spiritual  key  to  the  mysteries  of  the  Word  ; 
and  the  living  person  of  the  Divine  Firstborn  and 
Saviour. 

They  deny  the  future  Ufe  and  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  Say  they  :  Living  men  are  in 
the  graves  of  their  sins.  When  a  man  forsakes 
his  sins  and  becomes  pure,  then  he  has  risen  from 
the  dead.  "  The  sting  of  death  is  sin."  "  He 
that  believeth  on  Me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet 
shall  he  live."  They  believe  that  those  who 
are  alive  at  **  the  end  of  the  world  "  will  live  on 
for  ever  ;  but  they  who  die  will  not  rise  again. 
The  departed  soul  passes  into  another  body. 
They  look  forward  to  "  the  last  day  "  as  the  day 


"  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  "  163 

of  entry  into  "  that  eternal  kingdom  where 
there  are  no  superiors  and  no  authorities,"  where 
food  will  be  given  by  God  Himself,  without 
trouble  and  without  toil. 

The  ordinances  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper  they  interpret  spiritually  also,  and  con- 
demn the  Uteral  observance  of  them.  Their 
disciphne  is  very  strict.  They  will  not  permit 
the  marriage  of  their  young  people  with  persons 
outside  their  fellowship  ;  and  disorderly  mem- 
bers are  promptly  expelled. 

They  recognise  neither  saints'  days  nor  sab- 
baths.    They  meet  together  when  they  find  it 
convenient  so  to  do,  and  without  order  of  service, 
conduct   their   meetings   in   the   most   informal 
and    unconventional    manner,    handing    round 
glasses  of  weak  tea  and  the  tobacco-pouch  with 
great  sociabiHty.     Each  new-comer  kisses  every- 
body in  the  room,  men  and  women.     Occasion- 
ally their   assemblies   reach   a  phrenetic    pitch. 
They  indulge  in  vehement  dancing  and  gesticula- 
tions, and  shout  and  scream  and  shiver  in  a  very 
deUrium  of  agitation.     They  form  into  a  ring, 
and  whirl  round  and  round  in  a  dance  that  makes 
the  onlooker  giddy  to  watch  it.     "  They  jump, 
clap  their  hands,  contort  their  faces,  beat  them- 
selves, weep,  laugh,  moan,    and   sob,    the   per- 
spiration rolling  in  streams  from  their  faces  and 
bodies,  until  at  last  they  fall  to  the  ground  from 


i64  "  LO,  HERE  IS  CHRIST  !  OR  THERE  !  " 

sheer  exhaustion."  At  least,  so  it  has  been 
stated  in  unsympathetic  Russian  official  reports. 
Their  public  prayers  are  very  affecting.  The 
assembly  is  bathed  in  tears.  "  O  Lord  my  God — ■ 
my  soul !  My  dear,  dear  soul,  hear  me  !  O  Lord, 
my  great  Father,  save  me  ;  O  save  me.  Thou 
great  One,  thou  merciful  One  !  " 

The  Malyovantzy  claim  to  possess  the  "  gift  of 
tongues."  They  chatter  and  shout  a  series  of 
incoherent  and  uninteUigible  sounds,  and  some- 
times imitate  the  howhng,  lowing,  mewing, 
crowing  and  whisthng  of  the  animals  and  birds 
in  their  farms  and  forests.  Notwithstanding 
their  excesses  and  absurdities,  their  enemies  attest 
their  personal  and  social  virtues,  and  the  striking 
reformation  effected  in  depraved  characters 
through  their  propagandism. 

"  When  He  saw  the  multitudes,  He  was  moved 
with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  were  as 
sheep  having  no  shepherd."  Pathetically  and 
loudly  do  they  plead  for  judicious  spiritual 
teachers,  who  will  expound  more  perfectly  to 
them  the  Word  of  God,  and  who  will  guide  their 
stumbling  feet  into  the  ways  of  truth  and  peace. 


SOME    RUSSIAN   SAINTS 


XV 
SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

STROLLING  through  one  of  the  Royal 
palaces,  we  paused  before  a  holy  picture 
hanging  upon  the  wall  in  an  imperial  bedchamber. 
"  I  must  frankly  admit,"  said  a  Russian  lady, 
one  of  our  party  of  visitors,  "  that  although  I  have 
embraced  evangehcal  truth,  I  can  never  look 
upon  an  ikon  without  reverence." 

"  Are  you  prompted  to  worship  it,   as  you 

formerly  did  ?  " 

"  I  never  really  worshipped  the  ikon.  Edu- 
cated Russians  never  —rarely— do.  I  worshipped 
the  Deity  of  which  it  is  the  visible  representa- 
tion ;  or  if  it  be  the  ikon  of  a  saint,  then  I  rever- 
enced the  saint.  The  sight  of  an  ikon  still  prompts 
in  a  measure  the  old  feehngs." 

"  Do  you,  then,  find  a  visible  representation 
necessary  or  helpful  to  the  thought  of  our  Lord 

Jesus  ?  " 

"  Oh  no  !  Not  to  the  thought  of  Jesus— at 
least,  not  now.     I  have  learned  to  be  independent 

167 


i68  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

of  such  media  in  communion  with  Him.  And 
as  for  the  saints,  I  do  not  invoke  them  now. 
But  I  could  not  treat  an  ikon  hghtly.  They 
help  the  faith— such  as  it  is— of  millions  of  my 
Russian  fellow-countrymen.  " 

"  Such  as  it  is  !  "  And  what  is  it,  this  faith  in 
saints,  the  saints  of  which  the  countless  millions 
of  ikons  everywhere  throughout  Russia,  ikons 
large  and  small,  ikons  of  gold  encrusted  with 
priceless  jewels,  and  gaudily  coloured  ikons  of 
tin,  the  ikons  of  the  imperial  palaces  and  those 
in  the  hovels  of  the  moujiks  on  the  steppes,  are 
the  outward  and  visible  representations  ?  The 
Orthodox  Russian  is  a  hereditary  ikonolater. 

When  in  droshky  or  tram-car  or  afoot  you 
traverse  the  city,  you  observe  that  everybody 
is  continually  doffing  the  hat,  making  reverent 
obeisance,  crossing  himself  and  herself  as  they 
pass  the  holy  picture.  It  stands  by  the  wayside 
in  an  elaborate  shrine,  or  is  affixed  in  sohtary 
simplicity  against  a  wall  in  a  conspicuous  place, 
with  the  sacred  lamp  burning  before  it.  If  the 
ikon  be  within  a  shrine,  there  is  pretty  certain 
to  be  a  crowd  in  front  doing  homage,  the  lordly 
and  the  lowly,  costly  furs  and  repulsive  rags 
jostle  together  on  equal  terms  before  the  saint. 

Novgorod  city — not  Nijni  {=  New),  where  the 
fair  is  held,but  great  Novgorod,  the  ancient  city, 
about  a  hundred  miles  south  of  Petersburg — is 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  169 

very  largely  given  over  to  the  manufacture  of 
ikons,  which  are  turned  out  in  incredible  numbers 
each  year.  In  Nijni  Novgorod,  on  the  Volga, 
the  turnover  of  the  ikon-shops  and  the  book- 
shops are  equal,  about  £15,000  per  annum. 
*'  That  suggests  sad  reflections,"  says  Mr.  G.  H. 
Perris. 

St.  Nicholas  is  said  to  be  first  favourite  of  all 
the  saints,  among  the  Russian  moujiks.  His 
ikon  is  in  every  peasant's  home.  Fear  is  the 
common  incentive  to  worship  in  the  empire.  The 
people  dread  impending  ills,  the  maUgnity  of 
evil  spirits,  or  perhaps  even  the  anger  of  one 
of  the  saints  whom  they  imagine  they  have 
neglected  or  offended.  St.  Nicholas  is  generally 
regarded  with  much  affection.  He  is  the  poor 
man's  celestial  friend.  He  is  willing  to  do  mortals 
a  good  turn  when  he  can.  Hence  there  are  two 
days  in  the  year  devoted  to  the  honour  of  this 
saint,  two  "  festivals  of  St.  Nicholas."  Hence 
also  two  of  the  Tsars,  the  present  emperor  and 
the  monarch  of  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago,  and 
grand-dukes  and  other  notabilities  innumerable 
have  been  named  after  this  popular  saint. 

The  story  of  St.  Nicholas  and  the  carter  bears 
some  resemblance  to  the  classic  legend  respecting 
Hercules.  It  is  said  that  this  saint  was  walking 
one  miry  day  in  early  winter  along  a  Russian 
forest-track.     His    companion    was    St.    Casian. 


170  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

They  presently  came  upon  an  unfortunate  moujik 
whose  cart  was  hopelessly  stuck  in  the  mud.  The 
oxen  were  exhausted  in  their  vain  struggles  to 
move  it,  and  the  carter  was  in  despair.  St. 
Nicholas  hastened  to  his  aid,  against  the  expostu- 
lations of  St.  Casian,  who  begged  him  to  keep 
away  from  the  mire.  By  the  strength  of  St. 
Nicholas  the  wheels  began  to  move,  the  cart 
was  raised  out  of  the  slimy  ruts,  and  the  moujik 
volubly  expressed  his  gratitude  to  the  kind- 
hearted  stranger.  But  oh,  the  state  of  the 
saintly  hands  and  feet  !  The  saintly  sleeves, 
too,  and  skirts  were  grossly  bemired. 

How  many  a  spot  defiles  the  robe 
That  wraps  an  earthly  saint  ! 

When  the  two  saints  re-entered  heaven,  St. 
Nicholas  was  not  fit  to  be  seen.  He  had  to  hurry 
away  to  the  celestial  lavatory.  But  the  story 
of  his  good-natured  act  went  round  among  the 
moujiks,  with  the  result  that  the  Russian  Church 
gives  him  a  double  honour  with  two  festivals 
in  the  year.  St.  Casian,  for  his  unsympathetic 
aloofness,  has  to  put  up  with  but  one,  and  that 
is  held  only  in  leap  year.  Alas  for  the  unpopular, 
even  among  the  beatified  ! 

The  ancient  god  of  heathen  Russia,  Perun,  is 
strikingly  reproduced  among  the  saints  of  the 
Orthodox  Church  in  St.  Ehas.    This  saint,  like 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  171 

the  heathen  deity,  is  considered  to  be  an  authority 
on  meteorology,  and  to  have  control  of  sunshine 
and  storms,  the  winds  and  the  thunder,  particu- 
larly the  latter.  There  is  an  amusing  story 
told  of  a  contest  between  St.  Elias  and  St.  Nicho- 
las over  a  peasant's  field  of  corn,  in  which  St. 
Nicholas  scored  heavily  against  the  weather- 
controller. 

The  two  ikons  that  probably  receive  the  largest 
amount  of  public  homage  in  the  empire  are  "  our 
lady  of  Kazan "  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  the 
"  Iberian  mother  "  in  Moscow.  "  Our  lady  of 
Kazan  "  is  the  chief  ikon  of  the  Kazan  cathedral, 
which  is  a  conspicuous  building  on  the  Nevsky 
Prospect  in  the  northern  capital.  This  church, 
which  is  strictly  the  cathedral  church  of  the 
city,  has  a  spacious  and  imposing  semicircular 
columned  frontage,  resembling  that  of  St.  Peter's 
in  Rome. 

''  Our  Lady  "  the  ikon  is  located  in  the  ikon- 
ostas  or  screen  behind  the  altar.  Tiny  angels 
are  holding  a  crown  upon  the  Virgin's  head  ;  the 
Divine  Child  is  in  the  act  of  blessing,  with  right 
hand  upraised  ;  and  around  both  their  heads 
are  rays  of  glory.  The  picture  is  covered  with 
splendid  jewels.  One  of  the  diamonds  in  the 
crown,  worth  an  immense  fortune,  was  given 
to  the  holy  picture  by  Peter  the  Great.  A  grand 
duchess  of    later  times  contributed  a  sapphire 


172  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

of  extraordinary  size  and  brilliancy.  To  this 
ikon  come  the  emperors  of  Russia  to  do  homage 
on  entering  the  city  and  before  departing  from  it. 
All  high  officers  of  State  and  generals  going  forth 
to  war  follow  their  sovereign's  example  in  this 
particular.  "  Our  lady  of  Kazan  "  is  therefore 
an  ikon  of  importance  in  Russia.  When  Pastor 
J.  W.  Ewing,  with  Mr.  Fetler  and  a  few  friends, 
visited  this  celebrated  church,  they  together 
lifted  their  hearts  in  prayer  to  Heaven  in  a  quiet 
corner  among  its  magnificent  granite  columns. 
They  forgot  the  proximity  of  "  our  lady/' 

The  "  Iberian  mother  "  is  of  equal  importance 
in  her  own  city  of  Moscow.  Unlike  the  Peters- 
burg ikon,  that  of  Moscow  is  continually  on  the 
move.  From  her  little  chapel  she  is  taken  in 
great  state  in  a  superb  vehicle  drawn  by  four 
horses  to  the  houses  of  the  people  in  all  parts  of 
the  city.  Her  visits,  however,  are  not  "  without 
money  and  without  price,"  or  how  could  her  great 
company  of  retainers  be  kept  in  good  condition 
and  affluence  ?  Her  income  is  said  to  be  about 
ten  thousand  roubles  a  year.  There  is  a  table 
of  fees  arranged  ;  and  if  you  desire  the  ikon  to 
be  present  to  bless  a  wedding,  or  a  birthday,  or 
a  baptism,  or  to  attend  the  bedside  of  a  sick 
person,  you  make  your  application  to  the  pope 
in  charge,  and  pay  according  to  the  scale  ;  then 
the  horses  are  harnessed,  the  coachman,  bare- 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  173 

headed,  mounts  to  his  seat,  and  the  holy  picture 
sets  forth  to  visit  your  domicile.  As  the  stately 
ecclesiastical  procession  moves  along  the  streets 
of  the  city,  the  crowds  on  either  side  reverently 
uncover,  bow,  and  cross  themselves.  This  is  an 
everyday  spectacle  in  Moscow. 

The  saint  who  has  played  a  more  conspicuous 
part  in  Russian  military  history  than  any  other 
is  St.  Sergius,  of  the  Troitsky  Monastery,  near 
Moscow.  His  most  famous  connection  with  the 
battle-field  was  the  great  victory  his  blessing 
secured  to  the  Russian  arms  against  the  Tartars, 
when  the  Muscovites,  under  Dmitry  of  the  Don, 
broke  the  oppressive  Tartar  yoke.  Dmitry 
himself  ascribed  his  success  to  a  higher  Power 
than  any  saint,  for  history  tells  us  that  he  and 
his  troops  sang  together  the  inspiring  46th  Psalm, 
"  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help 
in  trouble."  However,  it  was  what  Cromwell 
would  have  called  "  a  crowning  mercy,"  and  the 
reputation  of  Sergius  was  established  for  all  time. 
Since  that  great  day  his  picture  has  many  times 
been  carried  into  the  tented  field  by  the  Tsars, 
with  varying  success.  In  the  Troitsky  (Trinity) 
Monastery,  which  he  founded,  there  is  a  shrine 
to  his  memory,  built  of  solid  silver,  which  weighs 
936  lbs.  There  is  also  a  singular  model  repre- 
sentation of  the  scene  of  the  Last  Supper  ;  our 
Lord  and  each  disciple  being  of  pure  gold,  only 


174  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

Judas  the  betrayer  being  cast  in  common  brass. 
A  favourite  St.  Sergius  ikon  represents  the  tra- 
dition of  a  visit  paid  to  the  saint  in  his  cell  by 
the  Virgin  Mary,  who  was  accompanied  on  the 
occasion  by  the  apostles  John  and  Peter.  His 
monastery  is  a  treasure-house  of  jewels  of  enor- 
mous value  and  royal  and  priestly  robes  of 
astonishing  magnificence.  But  its  most  highly- 
prized  treasures  are  the  coarse  woollen  clothing 
worn  by  Sergius  himself  in  the  days  of  his  flesh, 
and  the  rough  wooden  vessels  from  which  he 
ate  his  simple  meals.  He  was  in  his  day  a  very 
homely  and  devout  man,  as  are  the  present-day 
saints  of  the  empire.  The  nimbus,  the  jewels, 
and  the  praise  of  men  have  all  come  afterwards. 

It  is  in  .Kieff  that  we  come  into  direct  and 
personal  touch  with  the  Russian  saints  of  ancient 
days.  Here  we  find  them  at  first  hand,  not 
represented  by  Sviatye  Obraza  (holy  pictures), 
but  in  their  own  venerable  persons.  Under  the 
renowned  Lavra  or  Monastery  of  St.  Antonius, 
mentioned  in  a  previous  chapter,  are  the  cata- 
combs which  contain  the  remains  of  no  fewer  than 
eighty-one  Russian  saints.  It  is  considered  to 
be  the  rule  governing  canonization  that  the  body 
of  him  whom  heaven  has  appointed  for  sainthood 
is  proof  against  decomposition.  Is  it  not  written, 
**  Thou  wilt  not  suffer  Thine  holy  one  to  see 
corruption  "  ? 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  175 

Provided  with  a  taper,  which  is  purchased  on 
the  premises,  descent  is  made  along  a  dark  and 
narrow    passage.      Presently    the    passage-way 
opens  out  into  a  kind  of  underground  chapel, 
the  sides  of  which  are  here  and  there  cut  into 
niches.     In  each  niche  lies  an  open  coffin,  which 
contains  the  mummified  remains  of  the  saint  in 
his  sumptuous  ecclesiastical  robes,  with  a  costly 
Greek  cross  lying  upon  his  breast.     There  are  a 
number   of   such    cavern-chapels,  each  with   its 
assortment    of   saints,  to   whom   the   Orthodox 
visitors  do  the  utmost  homage,  kneeUng,  kissing 
the    coffins    with    affecting    devotion,    crossing 
themselves,  and  bowing  until  their  heads  touch 
the  ground.     The  remains  of  John  the  Sufferer 
always   attract   admiration.     This   saint  is  said 
to  have  buried  himself  alive  in  his  youth,  in  the 
fervour  of  his  asceticism.     For  thirty  years,  so 
the  story  goes,  he  survived  in  his  living  grave 
in  an  upright  position,  his  chin  level  with  the 
ground,  and  only  his  head  visible.    He  is  thus  to  be 
seen  to-day,  his  head  projecting  from  the  grave  in 
this  weird  underground  cemetery  of  Russian  saints. 
In  the  vicinity  of  the  Troitsky  Monastery  there 
are  catacombs,  in  which  at  the  present  day  there 
is  a  brotherhood  of  monks  who  have  taken  solemn 
vows  to  behold  no  more  either  the  hght  of  heaven 
or  the  faces  of  their  fellow-mortals  upon  earth. 
This  is  their  idea  of  *'  saintship  "  ! 


176  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

Some  of  the  legends  of  their  saints  current 
among  the  Russian  peasantry  are  extremely 
amusing,  others  are  quite  irreverent  and  indecent. 
The  saints  appear  to  have  been  frequently  on 
terms  of  astonishing  intimacy  with  their  humble 
worshippers.  They  have  not  hesitated  to  play 
tricks  upon  the  unsuspecting  moujik,  and  to  mete 
out  smart  punishments  for  personal  sHghts. 
These  saints  are  often  singularly  human  in  their 
personal  vanity,  in  their  mutual  jealousies,  and 
at  times  in  their  impulsive  kindnesses  ;  but  like 
some  living  Russians  they  are  not  renowned  for 
their  reliability  or  their  veracity. 

One  of  the  ablest  defences  of  the  veneration 
of  defunct  saints,  their  ikons  and  their  relics,  is 
that  of  M.  Pobiedonostzeff,  the  late  Ober-Pro- 
curor  of  the  Holy  Synod,  in  his  work  Reflections 
of  a  Russian  Statesman.     Says  he  : 

"  To  the  people,  religious  sentiments  are  ex- 
pressed by  a  number  of  symbols  and  traditions 
which  from  the  austerest  standpoint  may  seem 
superstition  and  idolatry.  Zealous  defenders  of 
the  faith,  alarmed  and  indignant,  sometimes 
attempt  with  violent  hand  to  destroy  those 
external  expressions  of  the  vulgar  faith,  as  Moses 
destroyed  the  golden  calf.  .  .  .  Thence  springs 
the  puritan  zeal 

"  But  in  this  envelope  of  the  popular  religion, 
often   rude,   are   hidden   elements   of   faith   sus- 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  177 

ceptible  of  development  and  sublimation,  the 
germs  of  eternal  truth.  In  tradition  and  in  cere- 
monial, in  symbolism  and  in  custom,  the  people 
see  the  actual  incarnation  of  that  which,  ex- 
pressed in  abstract  formula,  would  be  neither 
real  nor  effective. 

"  What  if,  destroying  the  husk,  we  deaden 
the  kernel  of  truth  ;  if,  pulling  up  the  tares,  we 
pull  up  also  the  wheat  ?  What  if,  in  striving  to 
purify  the  faith  of  the  people  under  the  pretext 
of  enmity  to  superstition,  we  destroy  the  faith 
itself  ?  If  the  forms  by  which  simple  men  ex- 
press their  faith  in  the  living  God  repel  us,  let 
us  remember  that  it  is  to  us  perhaps  that  the 
command  of  our  Divine  Master  was  given,  *  Take 
heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones  that 
believe  in  me.' 

*'  In  an  Arabic  poem  we  find  an  instructive 
parable.  Once  Moses,  while  wandering  in  the 
wilderness,  came  upon  a  shepherd  who  was 
praying  fervently  to  God.  This  was  the  shep- 
herd's prayer  :  '  How  shall  I  know  where  to 
find  Thee,  and  how  to  be  Thy  servant  ?  How 
I  should  wish  to  put  on  Thy  sandals,  to  comb 
Thy  hair,  to  wash  Thy  garments,  to  kiss  Thy 
feet,  to  care  for  Thy  dwelling,  to  give  Thee  milk 
from  my  herd  ;  for  such  is  the  desire  of  my 
heart  !  '  Moses,  when  he  heard  the  words  of 
the    shepherd,    was    angered,    and    reproached 

12 


178  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

him  :  '  Thou  blasphemest  !  The  Most  High 
God  has  no  body  !  He  wants  neither  clothing, 
nor  dweUing,  nor  service.  What  dost  thou 
mean,  unbehever  ?  '  The  heart  of  the  shepherd 
was  saddened,  because  he  could  not  conceive  a 
Being  without  bodily  form  and  corporeal  needs. 
He  was  taken  by  despair,  and  ceased  to  serve  the 
Lord.  But  God  spake  to  Moses  and  said  :  *  Why 
hast  thou  driven  away  from  Me,  My  servant  ? 
Every  man  has  taken  from  Me  the  form  of  his 
being,  and  the  manner  of  his  speech.  What  to 
thee  is  evil  to  another  is  good.  To  thee  it  is 
poison,  to  another  it  is  sweet  honey.  To  Me 
words  are  nothing.    I  look  into  the  heart  of  man.'  " 

This  is  excellently  well  put. 

But  here  is  no  justification  for  the  perpetua- 
tion of  unworthy  myths,  or  for  the  continued 
deception  of  the  ignorant  and  the  credulous. 
Surely  the  more  excellent  way  would  be  to  in- 
struct them  in  the  truth.  Falsehood  is  not  more 
beautiful  than  truth  !  Falsehood  is  not  more 
easily  comprehended  than  truth  !  Falsehood 
does  not  satisfy  the  human  soul  more  perfectly 
than  truth  !  A  man's  ignorance  and  artlessness 
are  no  excuse  for  denying  him  the  bread  of  truth, 
and  causing  him  to  break  his  teeth  upon  the  stones 
of  crude  superstitions  and  absurdities.  Still  less 
can  there  be  any  excuse  for  Pobiedonostzeff's 
cruel  persecutions  of  those  simple  peasants  who, 


SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS  179 

finding  traditions  and  relics  and  ikons  useless 
to  their  faith,  laid  them  aside  to  worship  the 
Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Moses  made  no 
mistake  when  he  made  short  work  of  that 
shining  popular  idol,  the  golden  calf,  although 
Pobiedonostzeff  appears  to  have  thought  he  did  1 

There  were  some  magnificent  men  among  the 
departed  saints  of  Russia.  St.  Philip,  the  heroic 
rebuker  of  the  infamies  of  Ivan  the  Terrible, 
who  suffered  martyrdom  for  his  faithfulness, 
was  one  of  them.  St.  Stephen  of  Perm  was  an- 
other. According  to  Mouravieff,  this  saint  pene- 
trated far  into  the  wild  forests  of  unexplored 
Perm,  at  the  base  of  the  Ural  mountains,  and 
preached  Christ  among  the  heathen  and  savage 
tribes  inhabiting  those  dark  fastnesses.  Many 
were  the  difficulties  he  encountered  and  the 
hardships  and  privations  he  endured  for  the 
Gospel's  sake.  But  this  brave  pioneer  reaped 
his  harvest,  established  the  outposts  of  the  King- 
dom of  God,  and  left  behind  him  an  imperishable 
name  as  an  ambassador  for  Christ. 

The  records  of  past  generations  show  many 
another  "holy  man  of  God"  whose  character 
and  works  have  blessed  the  Russian  people. 
But  there  are  countless  saints  alive  in  the  land 
to-day  witnessing  patiently  for  their  Lord.  In 
these  do  we  unfeignedly  rejoice.  We  hear  much 
of  Russian  nihilists,  and  atheists.     Thank  God, 


i8o  SOME    RUSSIAN    SAINTS 

there  are  men  and  women  of  far  different  char- 
acter and  aims  in  the  empire.  The  best  witnesses 
of  the  grace  of  the  hving  God  are  the  Uving  saints 
of  God.  Many  of  them  are  in  lowly  positions 
in  life — humble  moujiks  labouring  upon  the 
harvest-lands  oi  the  wide  and  fertile  steppes, 
or  felling  timber  for  winter  fuel  in  the  boundless 
forests,  or  steering  timber-rafts  down  the  wide 
rivers,  or  driving  droshkies  at  breakneck  pace 
in  the  cobbled  streets  of  the  cities.  Their  light 
shines  upon  earth  for  the  Lord  they  love,  and 
they  shall  presently  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the 
kingdom  of  their  Father. 


AWAY   SOUTH 


XVI 

AWAY    SOUTH 

*'  AT  EAR  Taganrog  several  men  entered  our 
1  \  train.  They  were  soon  engaged  in  a 
lively  conversation  with  the  other  passengers 
concerning  Hving  faith  !  From  which  it  was 
clear  that  they  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Bible."  So  said  Pastor  Peter  Perk,  a  Mennonite 
minister  of  South  Russia,  referring  to  a  railway 
journey  to  Rostov  on  the  Don. 

That  is  how  Gospel  grace  has  spread  in  South 
Russia.  It  has  everywhere  loosened  the  tongues 
of  those  who  have  inwardly  experienced  it. 
They  cannot  hold  their  peace.  Every  Christian 
is  talking  about  Bible  themes  and  spiritual 
religion. 

In  no  part  of  the  Giant-Empire  is  the  work  of 
God  more  interesting  than  in  those  provinces 
that  skirt  the  shores  of  the  Sea  of  Azov  and  the 
Black  Sea.  In  no  part  of  the  country  are  there 
more  tragical  and  heroic  features  in  that  story 
than  here.    The  subject  is  worthy  of  an  epic. 

183 


i84  AWAY    SOUTH 

It  is  a  greater  theme  than  that  which  inspired 
Homer's  muse  when  he  told  in  immortal  stanzas 
the  prowess  of  the  heroes  of  Ilion.  No  thought 
of  possible  earthly  fame,  no  hope  of  a  human 
"  well-done,"  ever  entered  the  noble  souls  of 
these  lowly  men  when  they  quietly  decided  to 
obey  their  God  in  the  very  teeth  of  hell.  Russia 
stands  higher  in  the  estimation  of  the  world  for 
the  proved  quality  of  her  moujik-citizens.  Who 
would  venture  to  walk  in  the  light  of  Truth  when 
her  ways  are  so  precipitous,  perilous  and  pain- 
ful, while  on  the  other  hand  the  ways  of  Falsehood 
are  so  broad  and  smooth  and  safe  ?  Glory  be 
to  God,  thousands  of  our  Russian  brethren  and 
sisters  have  frankly  and  placidly  taken  the  risk. 
In  these  remote  parts  of  the  empire  of  which  we 
now  write,  pains  and  penalties  are  still  at  times 
the  result  of  fidelity  to  conscience. 

One  of  the  most  recent  instances  of  the  heart- 
lessness  and  intolerance  of  a  provincial  governor 
occurred  within  the  last  few  months  in  the  Crimea. 
General  Dumbadse,  governor  of  the  province, 
had  actually  imprisoned  and  then  banished 
peremptorily  from  their  homes  and  the  province 
the  whole  of  the  members  of  the  little  Baptist 
church  of  the  village  of  Alupka.  There  are 
twenty-two  of  them,  men  and  women.  They 
were  first  ordered  to  appear  before  him  at  Yalta. 
This  involved  a  long  tramp  through  melting  snow 


AWAY    SOUTH  185 

of  sixteen  miles.     They  were  very  timid  in  the 
presence  of  the  great  man  in  his  imposing  uniform. 
He  severely  lectured  them  on  the  crime  of  for- 
saking his  Church ;  accused  them  of  other  offences, 
of  which  they  were  no  more  guilty  than  he  was  ; 
and  then  gave  them  eight  days  in  which  to  settle 
their   affairs   and   quit    the    district.     The   four 
deacons  he  sent  at  once  to  prison  ;    the  others 
trudged   back,  with   heavy   hearts,  the   sixteen 
miles  to  their  homes,  and  at  once  made  such 
preparations  as  they  were  able  for  leaving  their 
businesses  and  friends  and  the  village,  as  far  as 
they  knew,  for  ever.     In  the  home  of  one  there 
was  grievous  sickness  :  a  daughter  lay  at  the  point 
of  death  with  typhus  fever.     Another  sister  had 
hitherto   kept   a  small  shop.     It  was  no   easy 
matter  to  settle  up  their  Hfe-interests  and  cut 
the  ties  of  their  daily  hves.     But  it  had  to  be  done. 
Dumbadse  had  commanded.     He  is  greater  than 
the  Httle  Father,  the  Tsar,  who  cares  for  his 
children.     At  the  end  of  eight  days  they  said 
the  last  farewells  and  departed.     Whither  ?     Ah, 
who  can  tell  ?     They  have  probably  spent  the 
summer  tramping  from  village  to  village  in  South 
Russia,  begging  their  food  from  compassionate 
moujiks,  whose  humanity  is  a  welcome  contrast 
to  the  behaviour  of  the  tchinovnik  who  destroyed 
their  little  homes  and  cast  them  out  to  starve. 
But  on  the  other  hand  there  are  worthier  men 


i86  AWAY    SOUTH 

in  some  of  these  high  positions  in  the  empire. 
The  governor-general  of  the  province  adjoining 
the  Crimea,  Taurida,  is  a  high-minded  Christian 
gentleman.  Pastor  Balachin,  one  of  the  foremost 
preachers  of  the  south,  sought  an  interview  with 
his  excellency  a  short  while  ago,  to  thank  him 
for  his  friendliness  and  the  justice  of  his  admini- 
stration as  far  as  it  affected  Evangelicals. 

'*  Please  assure  all  your  friends  of  my  desire 
to  treat  them  fairly,  and  to  give  them  the  full 
enjoyment  of  all  their  rights  under  the  law.  I 
am  quite  satisfied  that  they  are  all  faithful  subjects 
of  the  emperor,"  he  replied. 

*'  When  receiving  me,  and  at  the  close  of  our 
interview,  he  very  kindly  shook  me  by  the  hand. 
Praise  God  for  His  goodness  !  "  said  Pastor  Bala- 
chin in  reporting  the  visit. 

The  same  brother  gives  us  an  insight  into  the 
itinerating  labours  of  these  Russian  evangelists 
in  one  of  his  reports.  The  scene  of  the  meetings 
is  the  country  around  the  Sea  of  Azov  : 

"  In  the  town  of  Yatigorsk  I  held  six  meetings 
in  the  Merchants'  Club,  with  the  approval  of  the 
Ataman  (the  Cossack  governor  of  the  province), 
and  had  attentive  audiences  of  from  five  to  six 
hundred  people.  In  the  city  of  Melitopol  I  held 
/hree  meetings,  by  permission  of  the  governor, 
in  the  town  theatre,  between  six  and  seven  hun- 
dred people  being  present.     Five  meetings  were 


AWAY    SOUTH  187 

held  in  the  theatre  at  Berdjansk,  at  which  the 
audiences  averaged  fifteen  hundred/' 

Odessa  is  the  metropohs  of  evangehcal  effort 
in  the  south.  Odessa  is  the  capital  city  of  South 
Russia.  It  is  situated  on  the  shores  of  the  tide- 
less,  storm-swept  Euxine,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
populous  and  enterprising  cities  of  the  Russian 
Empire.  It  is  a  busy  hive  of  industry  and  com- 
merce ;  full  not  only  of  Russians,  but  of  Jews, 
Poles,  Armenians,  Greeks,  Turks,  and  Asiatics  ; 
a  city  of  incessant  activity,  of  international 
shipping  and  trade,  whence  come  enormous 
supplies  of  steppe-grown  wheat  for  our  daily 
bread  ;  of  ostentatious  opulence,  and  of  appalling 
poverty. 

The  population  is  very  much  alive.  It  is  all 
nerves.  Here  is  a  hotbed  of  the  revolutionary 
propaganda,  the  "  Socialist  of  the  street  "  in 
contradistinction  to  the  "Socialist  of  the  school,'* 
and  the  fiery  and  unsparing  anarchist.  Here, 
too,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  infamous  *'  Black 
Hundred,"  that  mob  of  fulsomely  loyal  hooligans, 
who,  at  the  signal  from  the  St.  Petersburg  palaces, 
unleash  the  fierce  dogs  of  rape  and  massacre, 
of  loot  and  conflagration,  upon  a  harmless  and 
helpless  people,  their  terrified  fellow-subjects. 

In  this  great  city  of  Odessa,  with  its  spacious 
and  imposing  public  buildings  in  the  central 
boulevards,  its  evil-smelling  by-ways,   its  inter- 


i88  AWAY    SOUTH 

minable  suburbs  of  hovels,  its  ample  harbour, 
its  busy  quays  and  docks,  its  huge  granaries  and 
flour  mills,  its  ubiquitous  Cossacks  to  be  seen  in 
every  post-office  and  tramcar,  and  along  every 
thoroughfare  (the  city  is  at  present  under  martial 
law),  its  splendid  Greek  cathedrals  and  churches 
with  golden  spires,  and  humble  synagogues, 
its  gaudy  theatres  and  fashionable  parks  and 
promenades  ;  here  in  Odessa,  under  the  spell  of 
the  boundless  steppes  of  somnolent  Russia  north 
of  her,  and  yet  nervously  responsive  to  the  touch 
of  Europe  west  of  her,  in  her  politics,  her  in- 
dustries, her  commerce,  her  social  life,  and  her 
religious  aspirations,  the  servants  of  God  have 
found  an  all-too-needy  sphere  in  which  to  labour 
for  Him  who,  seeing  the  multitudes,  was  moved 
with  compassion. 

The  district  around  Odessa,  too,  is  being  stirred, 
the  moujiks  and  the  farmers  eagerly  assembhng 
when  the  meetings  are  held  in  the  villages,  many 
travelling  considerable  distances  across  the  steppes 
to  be  present.  Evangehsts  go  out  from  the 
Odessa  Churches  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  these 
meetings. 

There  is  a  considerable  German-speaking  popu- 
lation in  the  city,  and  Rev.  A.  Fiillbrandt  is 
the  pastor  of  the  important  German  Baptist 
Church.  The  Mildmay  Mission  to  the  Jews  has 
laboured  with  great  success  among  the  Hebrew 


AWAY    SOUTH  189 

population,  an    unmistakable    revival  following 
upon  the  great  anti-Jewish  pogrom  of  October 

1905- 

Pastor  Vassily  Pavloff,  a  swarthy  and  muscular 
specimen  of  Russian  manhood,  stands  among 
the  foremost  of  the  Christian  workers  in  Odessa. 
Mr.  Pavloff  is  familiar  with  the  inside  of  the 
''inner  prison,"  an  unspeakably  dreadful  den  of 
human  wild  beasts.  He  has  journeyed  in  chains 
on  foot  for  hundreds  of  miles  as  a  prisoner  for 
Christ's  sake  and  the  Gospel's,  with  convict  gangs. 
He  has  endured  the  privations  of  banishment 
to  the  Ural  Mountains,  the  dividing  line 
between  Europe  and  Asia,  a  desolate  no-man's- 
land,  for  two  separate  terms  of  four  years  each. 
He  has  lost  wife  and  child  in  exile  by  flood  and 
fever.  And  to-day,  bronzed  and  toughened  by 
many  hardships,  he  is  as  busy  as  he  ever  was, 
preaching  the  Gospel,  circulating  the  Word  of 
God  and  simple  Gospel  literature,  among  the 
needy  multitudes  of  Odessa  and  the  south. 

Brother  Pavloff  and  his  assistant,  Mr.  Skaldin, 
who  was  formerly  a  policeman  and  is  now  a  most 
effective  preacher,  have  their  hands  full. 

Pavloff  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
newly-formed  Baptist  Church,  a  daughter  of 
the  German  Church  in  the  city,  in  September 
1907.  He  had  previously  for  many  years  been 
pastor  in  Tiflis,  in  the  Caucasus. 


igo  AWAY    SOUTH 

The  Odessa  hall,  in  which  the  meetings  are 
held,  seats  about  a  thousand  persons,  and  it  is 
often  much  too  small  for  the  clamorous  throng 
that  would  fain  press  into  it.  It  is  rented  by 
the  Church.  The  members  pay  about  £ioo  per 
annum  for  the  accommodation.  It  was  formerly 
a  military  chapel  belonging  to  the  Greek  Church. 
There  is  never  a  difficulty  in  gathering  a  con- 
gregation in  Odessa  to  listen  to  the  Gospel.  The 
difficulty  is  at  the  other  end,  in  persuading  them 
to  disperse  after  the  meeting. 

The  story  must  be  told  of  the  wholesale  arrest 
and  imprisonment  of  a  "  sect  ant  "  picnic  party 
while  drinking  coffee  and  singing  hymns  on  a 
hill  overlooking  the  Black  Sea.  It  happened 
last  year,  and  is  characteristically  Russian. 

While  waiting  for  a  permit  from  the  authorities 
to  hold  a  Conference  in  the  city,  certain  brethren 
proposed  to  beguile  the  tedium  of  delay  by 
holding  a  picnic.  Accordingly,  on  a  lovely  after- 
noon in  May,  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
persons  walked  to  the  Shewachow  Hill,  about 
three  miles  out  of  Odessa.  They  had  just  got 
the  coffee  ready,  and  were  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  the  sunshine,  the  sea-breeze,  the  glorious  view 
below  them,  and,  above  all,  each  other's  company, 
when  they  were  startled  by  sharp  commands, 
and  saw  a  company  of  mounted  police  in  front 
of  them.     Looking  quickly  about,  they  saw  that 


AWAY    SOUTH  191 

they  were  surrounded  by  a  formidable  circle  of 
police,  some  on  horseback,  others  on  foot.  They 
were  ordered  to  form  into  Hues,  and,  still  sur- 
rounded by  the  police,  were  marched  back  to 
the  city.  Their  appearance  in  the  streets  under 
such  conditions  caused  something  of  a  sensation. 

**  It  was  a  spectacle  inexpressibly  sad,"  said  a 
sympathetic  eye-witness. 

At  the  police-office  they  were  crowded  into 
cells,  where  they  spent  two  days  and  two  nights 
in  the  greatest  discomfort.  The  cells  were  so 
full  that  there  was  no  possibility  of  lying  down 
to  rest.  Then  the  authorities  condescended  to 
announce  to  them  their  sentences:  Pastor  Pavloff, 
two  months'  imprisonment ;  the  deacons  of  the 
church,  one  month  each  ;  some  of  the  leading 
church-members,  fourteen  days ;  and  all  the 
rest  seven  days.  The  authorities  apparently 
did  not  take  the  trouble  to  prove  any  breach  of 
the  law. 

**  Our  imprisonment  has  not  been  in  vain," 
said  Brother  Skaldin,  the  ex-poHceman,  after- 
wards. "  Because  we  have  every  day  been 
permitted  to  read  the  Word  of  God  and  to  pray 
with  the  other  prisoners,  the  warders  permitting 
all  who  wished  to  do  so,  to  be  present  in  the 
large  hall." 

Rev.  W.  Fetler,  who  arrived  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  picnic  too  late  to  be  arrested,  and 


192  AWAY    SOUTH 

who  surveyed  the  scene  from  a  safe  distance, 
hurried  away  to  the  prefect  of  the  city  to  plead 
for  his  friends.     The  prefect  was  fierce. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  indeed  that  you  were  not 
caught  also.  You  are  one  of  the  worst  ring- 
leaders," he  shouted.  "  I  would  have  put  you 
first  in  the  prison  if  you  had  been  found  upon 
the  hill  !  " 

A  visit  was  paid  to  Mr.  Pavloff  while  serving 
his  sentence,  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Oncken  of  Lincoln, 
who  thus  describes  it  : 

"  The  interview  took  place  in  the  prison  yard. 
It  was  a  beautiful  sunny  afternoon.  Sitting 
beside  Mrs.  Pavloff  in  the  shadow  of  some  trees, 
we  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  prisoner.  Pre- 
sently he  came  out  of  his  cell  at  the  end  of  the 
yard,  a  true  stalwart  puritan.     We  embraced. 

"  '  How  goes  it,  dear  brother  ?  '   I  inquired. 

**  *  Thanks  be  unto  God,  very  well.  It  will 
all  fall  out  to  the  furtherance  of  His  Kingdom.' 

"  As  we  were  speaking  in  German,  the  official 
watching  us  approached,  and  said  we  must  speak 
in  Russian. 

"  *  How  can  you  expect  such  a  thing  ?  '  said 
Mr.  Pavloff  indignantly.  *  My  visitor  is  an 
Englishman  !  ' 

"  Upon  that  the  official  discreetly  withdrew 
and  left  us  to  our  conversation. 

*'  We  had  half  an  hour's  pleasant  intercourse, 


AWAY    SOUTH  193 

which  will  ever  remain  memorable.  He  charged 
me  to  convey  heartiest  greetings  and  his  sincere 
thanks  to  friends  in  England  for  practical  sym- 
pathy in  the  day  of  trouble." 

Tiflis,  the  capital  of  the  beautiful  Caucasus 
region,  is  a  centre  in  which  the  Evangel  has 
always  flourished.  In  a  small  room  behind  a 
shop  on  one  of  its  steep  streets,  meetings  of  be- 
lievers were  held  for  years.  The  little  company 
dare  not  sing  ;  but  they  prayed  together  and 
studied  eagerly  the  Word  of  God.  In  the  Tiflis 
prison  many  have  suffered  for  conscience*  sake. 
Two  brethren — a  Lutheran  and  a  Baptist — had 
engaged  in  many  a  hot  disputation  over  Christian 
doctrine  in  the  little  room  afore-mentioned. 
They  both  disappeared  from  view  into  the  clutches 
of  the  police.  One  day  they  were  astonished  to 
meet  in  the  prison  kamera.  They  afterwards 
declared  that  in  the  joy  of  seeing  each  other  again, 
and  in  their  affectionate  embraces,  they  forgot 
every  theological  difference.  Controversy  was 
overwhelmed  in  fraternal  love. 

Many  Armenians  of  Trans-Caucasia  are  earnest 
Evangelicals.  Dr.  Baedeker's  visits  to  their 
congregations  were  warmly  appreciated.  Pat- 
wakan  Tarajantz  of  Baku,  one  of  the  doctor's 
interpreters,  is  a  leader  among  them,  and  a  whole- 
hearted servant  of  the  Lord.  The  Armenian 
Church  has  of  late  years  passed  through  severe 

13 


194  AWAY   SOUTH 

trials.  The  seizure  of  its  treasury  by  the  Russian 
authorities  in  1903,  the  appalHng  massacre  of 
many  Armenians  about  a  year  afterwards,  and 
their  consequent  sense  of  oppression  and  of  terror, 
have  made  them  keenly  responsive  to  sympathy 
and  brotherly-kindness. 

A  remarkable  service  was  held  in  the  Armenian 
Cathedral  in  Baku  in  memory  of  the  victims  of 
the  massacre.  Great  numbers  of  Mussulmans 
of  the  different  races  of  Caucasus  were  present 
with  their  spiritual  leaders.  From  the  pulpit 
the  Armenian  archbishop  uttered  these  eminently 
wise  and  pacific  words  : 

**  We  are  all  brothers.  Our  religious  differences 
ought  not  to  be  a  cause  of  hatred.  .  .  .  We  have 
all  one  common  enemy  and  only  one — Satan. 
May  he  be  accursed  !  " 


AN    EVANGELICAL    PRESS   AT   WORK 


XVII 
AN   EVANGELICAL    PRESS    AT   WORK 

IN  those  earlier  happy  and  enhghtened  days 
of  Alexander  II.,  before  the  awful  "  ter- 
rorist "  shadow  fell  upon  the  throne  and  people, 
there  was  much  liberty  granted  to  the  Press. 
Papers  and  periodicals  sprang  up  in  St.  Peters- 
burg and  Moscow  like  mushrooms  in  a  showery 
summer.  Some  of  this  journalism  was  good, 
much  was  of  the  mere  catchpenny  kind,  or  worse. 
But  the  "  sixties  "  passed  away,  the  new  liberties 
of  publication  were  withdrawn,  and  once  more 
the  Most  Holy  Governing  Synod,  the  Censor, 
and  gross  darkness  reigned  in  the  land.  We 
cannot  imagine  the  density  of  the  spiritual  night 
of  a  nominally  Christian  country,  in  which  prac- 
tically the  only  "  religious  "  literature  in  circu- 
lation is  a  series  of  more  or  less  fantastic  legends 
of  "  saints,"  the  object  of  which  appears  to  have 
been  rather  to  furnish  the  people  with  broad 
humour  than  to  instruct  them  in  the  things 
of  God.     It  is  satisfactory  to   learn   that  great 

197 


198    AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK 

numbers  of  these  productions  have  been  with- 
drawn from  circulation  within  the  last  year  or 
two,  by  order  of  the  authorities. 

For  Evangelical  publications  an  era  of  liberty 
has  again  dawned,  and  we  have  therefore  quite 
an  assortment  of  issues  bearing  the  hopeful 
imprint  "  Vol.  L,  No.  i."  It  is  the  babyhood 
of  an  empire's  religious  journalism. 

A  premier  position  among  Evangelical  issues 
must  be  given  to  the  late  Colonel  Paschkoff's 
collection  of  hymns,  published  in  1882.  These 
books  have  a  pathetic  interest.  They  are  the 
memorials  of  a  bright  morning,  soon,  alas !  to  be 
overcast,  and  to  issue  in  a  stormy  day.  These 
hymns  were  sung  in  the  inspiring  Gospel  meetings 
held  in  the  house  of  the  Colonel,  and  in  that  of 
Princess  Lieven,  and  in  other  residences  of  the 
St.  Petersburg  nobility  who  had  come  under  the 
saving  power  of  the  Cross  through  the  preach- 
ing of  Lord  Radstock.  Those  were  indeed 
stirring  times  in  the  capital.  The  noble  converts, 
in  the  enthusiasm  of  their  first  love  for  Christ, 
were  ready  to  do  and  to  dare  anything  for  the 
beloved  Name. 

But  the  hand  of  authority  fell  heavily.  The 
meetings  for  prayer  were  prohibited,  the  leaders 
were  banished,  the  songs  of  praise  were  silenced  ; 
and  these  hymnbooks  were  sadly  packed  away 
on  dusty  shelves,  awaiting  the  tedious  passage 


AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK    199 

of  the  years  of  repression,  and  the  coming  of  the 
ukase  of  freedom  in  1905.  These  hymnbooks 
have  again  been  brought  out  into  the  light,  and, 
as  recorded  in  an  earher  chapter,  are  doing  good 
service  in  the  present  revival. 

In  the  house  whence  Colonel  Paschkoff  issued 
his  religious  hymns  and  tracts  thirty  years 
ago,  Mr.  Fetler  sits  to-day,  superintending  the 
output  of  evangelical  literature  in  much  larger 
quantities,  that  finds  its  way  to  almost  every 
corner  of  the  empire. 

A  volume  with  a  lively  history  is  entitled 
'*  Poems,  Original  and  Translated."  It  bears 
the  imprint,  "  St.  Petersburg,  1902."  As  will 
be  observed,  it  was  printed  three  years  earlier 
than  the  ukase  of  liberty.  It  is  a  volume  of 
upwards  of  five  hundred  pages,  and  is  pubHshed 
at  1.25  roubles  (about  2S.  6^.).  It  has  enjoyed 
a  wide  circulation,  owing  in  part  to  the  unusual 
circumstances  of  its  issue.  Mr.  Ivan  Prokhanoff, 
a  busy  engineer  of  St.  Petersburg,  was  the  editor; 
he  is  also  author  of  several  of  the  pieces.  He 
thought  it  might  stand  a  better  chance  of  es- 
caping the  severity  of  the  authorities  if  it  were 
printed  by  the  official  printing  establishment 
to  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior.  He  therefore 
adopted  the  bold  and  straightforward  course  of 
inviting  that  office  to  undertake  the  issue.  This 
they  were  willing  to  do  as  a  matter  of  business  ; 


200    AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK 

and  as  it  was  simply  a  book  of  devotion  they 
also  undertook  to  secure  its  approval  by  the 
Censor.  The  volume  duly  appeared  with  the 
legend  upon  its  cover  :  "  Printed  by  the  official 
printers  to  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior." 

Wherever  the  book  went,  hostility  was  disarmed 
by  this  simple  line  of  type,  and  on  its  merits  the 
volume  speedily  gained  the  favour  of  the  people. 
Then  letters  respecting  it  began  to  arrive  at  the 
Ministry  of  the  Interior.  M.  de  Plehve,  who  was 
shortly  afterwards  shockingly  done  to  death  by 
the  bombs  of  the  "  terrorists,"  was  then  the 
Minister.  Some  of  the  letters  called  his  attention 
to  its  doctrine,  alleging  that  it  was  contrary 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Greek  Orthodox  Church. 
Others  praised  the  book,  and  asked  M.  de  Plehve 
to  send  additional  copies  to  various  addresses. 

M.  de  Plehve  became  excited,  made  inquiries 
for  the  volume,  read  it,  and  at  once  issued  a 
circular  to  all  provincial  governments  ordering 
its  suppression.  The  season  of  its  suppression 
was,  however,  brief,  as  the  Minister  met  his  death 
shortly  afterwards. 

The  volume  is  full  of  the  Gospel.  Among  the 
hymns  are  two  by  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine. 
This  royal  officer  was,  until  a  short  time  ago,  at 
the  head  of  the  Russian  military  academies. 
He  recently  issued  an  order  to  the  governors 
and    officers    in    these    academies    throughout 


AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK     201 

Russia,  to  the  effect  that  the  young  men  were  to 
devote  a  portion  of  every  morning  and  evening 
to  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  for  their  personal, 
moral,  and  spiritual  edification.  The  officers 
were  not  to  leave  the  oversight  of  this  duty  to 
the  priests  ;  but  were  themselves  carefully  to 
see  that  this  was  done,  as  "  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious well-being  of  the  young  officers  of  the 
Tsar's  army  is  a  matter  of  the  most  profound 
importance  to  the  Empire."  Is  not  this  some- 
thing to  delight  the  heart  of  every  well-wisher  of 
Russia  ?  The  Grand  Duke  has  written  two  of 
the  hymns  in  the  collection.  I  have  ventured 
to  turn  one  of  them  into  English  verse  : 

"Teach  me,  O  Lord,  Thy  love  to  know, 

With  all  my  powers  of  mind  and  thought ; 
The  utmost  consecration  show 

Of  all  this  being  Thou  hast  bought. 

"To  do  Thy  will,  most  Merciful, 

I  seek  Thy  guidance  day  by  day ; 
To  bear  the  trials  that  befall, 

I  would  for  constant  courage  pray. 

"  Teach  me  to  love  Thy  children.  Lord, 

Redeemed  by  Thy  most  precious  blood  ; 
And  may  my  love,  on  them  outpoured. 
Be  pure  and  true,  like  Thine,  O  God  ! " 

Russia  has  its  religious  monthly  magazine. 
The  Christian.  The  first  number  was  issued 
early  in  1906  by  Mr.  Prokhanoff,  who  lost  no 


202    AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK 

time  after  the  ukase  in  presenting  the  public 
with  a  good  Evangelical  periodical.  But  Russia 
has  another  Christian.  The  more  thoughtful 
and  progressive  of  the  Greek  clergy,  ever  watch- 
ful of  the  interests  of  religion  in  the  realm,  felt 
that  this  was  a  step  forward  which  they  might 
well  imitate.  They  therefore,  in  1908,  for  the 
first  time  issued  a  religious  paper  ;  and  with  a 
singular  lack  of  inventiveness  they  have  also 
selected  the  same  title  for  their  venture. 

A  Greek  Orthodox  priest  has,  however,  been 
heard  to  avow  boldly  his  preference  for  Mr. 
Prokhanoff's  paper,  as  being  more  readable  and 
helpful  than  its  young  "  Orthodox  "  namesake. 
These  things  are  signs  of  the  times.  But  the 
great  mass  of  the  Greek  Orthodox  priesthood 
is,  of  course,  reactionary,  and  would  willingly 
put  an  end  to  all  such  literature. 

Away  in  the  south  the  Baptists  have  their 
denominational  paper,  formerly  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Mazajeff,  and  at  present  by  Rev. 
V.  Pavloff  of  Odessa.  The  first  number  appeared 
in  1907.  The  Letts  of  the  Baltic  provinces  also 
publish  a  Baptist  paper.  Our  old  friend,  Mr. 
Patwakan  Tarajantz,  Dr.  Baedeker's  faithful 
companion  and  interpreter,  is  publishing  a  re- 
hgious  monthly  in  Baku,  entitled  Joyful  News, 
which  has  an  encouraging  circulation  ;  and  other 
journalistic  ventures   which  spread   the   Gospel 


AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK    203 

are  beginning  to  appear  here  and  there.  Perhaps 
the  most  popular  of  these  is  a  broadsheet  of  four 
pages,  illustrated,  which  Mr.  Prokhanoff  is  issuing 
weekly  for  wide  circulation.  Mr.  Prokhanoff, 
who  is  physically  a  fine  specimen  of  Russian 
manhood,  devotes  all  his  spare  time  most  gener- 
ously to  this  necessary  and  fruitful  work.  He 
resided  in  England  for  a  year  or  two  some  time 
ago,  and  has  many  friends  in  this  country. 

Since  Mr.  Fetler's  settlement  in  the  capital, 
the  production  of  evangelical  literature  in  the 
Russian  tongue  has  advanced  apace.  Translators 
have  been  at  work  upon  some  of  the  more  popular 
elementary  expository  and  devotional  works 
of  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  These 
have  found  a  ready  sale.  Evangelistic  tracts. 
Gospel  hymns  (chiefly  translations  of  our  British 
favourites),  and  similar  publications  have  been 
circulated  in  large  quantities.  An  illustrated 
monthly,  Faith,  has  attained  a  circulation  of 
three  to  four  thousand,  and  has  proved  most 
useful. 

The  steadfast  policy  is  that  these  publications 
shall  be  purely  religious.  Everything  of  a 
political  character  is  carefully  avoided,  as  are 
also  all  attacks  on  the  Greek  Church.  The  people 
are  exhorted  to  read  the  Bible  ;  to  repent  of  sin 
and  forsake  it,  accepting  the  Lord  Jesus  as 
Saviour  and   Master  ;    to  be   devout,  prayerful 


204    AN  EVANGELICAL  PRESS  AT  WORK 

and  reverent ;  to  seek  Divine  grace  to  live  a  holy 
life  in  the  sight  of  God.  Controversies  and  se- 
ditious matter  are  never  admitted  to  these  pages. 
It  is  not  their  purpose  to  sow  bitterness  or  strife. 

Considerable  assistance  has  been  given  by 
Mr.  Fetler  to  the  cause  of  religious  freedom 
by  the  printing  and  circulating  all  over  Russia 
of  a  little  handbook  containing  full  particulars 
of  the  Ukases  and  Manifestos  of  the  Tsar  bearing 
upon  the  rights  of  Baptists,  with  copies  of  corre- 
spondence with  the  authorities  in  St.  Petersburg 
on  all  points  previously  in  doubt.  The  cover 
is  adorned,  by  permission  of  the  Court,  with  a 
fine  photo  of  the  Emperor.  The  humble  Baptist 
is  now  able  to  instruct  the  lofty  tchinovnik, 
respecting  his  powers  and  their  limitations.  He 
may  call  his  Gospel  meetings,  sing  his  hymns 
and  read  his  Bible  publicly  with  a  mind  at  ease. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  has 
an  excellent  and  most  judicious  representative  in 
Russia  in  Rev.  Dr.  Kean.  The  Society  purchases 
its  supplies  of  Russian  and  Slavonic  Scriptures 
and  portions  from  the  Holy  Synod,  and  circu- 
lates the  Word  of  God  throughout  the  empire, 
in  Europe  and  in  Asia,  by  means  of  its  numerous 
colporteurs,  in  about  sixty  different  languages 
and  dialects.  The  Holy  Synod  also  employs 
colporteurs  for  the  same  purpose — for  which 
may  God  be  praised  ! 


BARONESS    VON    WREDE    OF    FINLAND 


XVIII 
BARONESS    VON    WREDE    OF    FINLAND 

WE  are  again  tumbling  about  in  the  Baltic. 
A  great  wave  came  splashing  just  now 
against  our  boat  and  fell  upon  the  deck  in  a  heavy 
shower  of  drenching  spray.  But  the  Urania 
rides  the  waters  with  queenly  dignity,  and 
steadily  ploughs  her  way  towards  the  south.  It 
is  only  a  few  hours  since  we  parted  from  Miss 
Von  Wrede  by  the  steamer's  gangway  at  Hango. 
She  had  come  to  see  us  off ;  had  explored  with 
interest  our  quarters  below,  had  inquired  as  to 
our  appreciation  of  the  novel  Finnish  bill  of 
fare,  the  smergasbord,  the  introductory  savoury 
dishes,  to  which  reference  was  made  in  the  first 
chapter.  We  had  parted  with  the  heartiest  *'  God 
bless  you."  It  was  a  great  privilege  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  one  who  has  for  years,  and 
with  unconditional  consecration  to  the  Master, 
laboured  among  the  criminal  population  of 
Finland. 

Baroness  von  Wrede  has  already  been  intro- 
duced to  British  readers  in  Dr.  Baedeker  in  Russia. 

207 


2o8  BARONESS  VON  WREDE  OF  FINLAND 

It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  she  who  intro- 
duced the  doctor  to  his  visitations  in  the  prisons 
in  Finland  ;  and  she  was  the  most  successful 
interpreter  he  ever  had,  in  his  prison  preaching. 
She  was  only  in  her  teens  when  she  herself  began 
this  work.  As  the  daughter  of  a  former  governor 
of  the  Wasa  province,  she  was  allowed  a  liberty 
of  access  that  would  have  been  impossible  to  an 
ordinary  lady  ;  and  her  Christlike  compassion 
for  the  fallen  and  abandoned,  impelled  her  to 
the  most  self-denying  efforts  for  the  amelioration 
of  their  lot  and  their  personal  reclamation.  Her 
friends  have  often  wondered  how  her  frail  con- 
stitution has  endured  the  physical  activities 
and  the  nervous  exhaustion  necessarily  involved 
in  her  work.  Two  Russian  princesses  visiting 
the  south  of  France  begged  her  to  go  for  a 
brief  holiday  with  them,  and  take  a  much-needed 
rest.  But  the  promise  given  to  the  prisoners 
in  Abo  prison,  that  she  would  spend  a  few  weeks 
longer  with  them,  could  not  be  broken.  When 
they  heard  that  she  was  not  leaving  them,  they 
crowded  around  her  in  the  prison-yard  to  shake 
her  hands  and  utter  their  eager  thanks.  They 
gently  patted  her  head  and  her  shoulders  in  their 
demonstrations  of  affectionate  joy,  until  she,  who 
has  been  used  to  prisoners  all  her  life,  felt  quite 
abashed,  and  the  tears  welled  up  into  her  eyes. 
There   are    between    six    and   seven    hundred 


BARONESS  VON  WREDE  OF  FINLAND  209 

criminals  in  the  main  Abo  prison,  and  a  smaller 
auxiliary  prison  near  contains  perhaps  four 
hundred  more.  Therefore  in  these  two  prisons 
alone  there  is  a  large  field  of  service.  Miss  von 
Wrede  usually  lives  in  the  prison  during  her 
visitation,  the  governor  courteously  arranging  for 
her  accommodation.  In  addition  to  the  simple 
Gospel  services  which  she  conducts,  she  makes 
it  her  object  to  come  into  personal  communi- 
cation with  each  prisoner  as  far  as  possible.  This 
is  a  very  slow  process,  and  one  which  makes 
serious  demands  upon  her  nervous  system. 

"  It  is  not  so  much  what  you  say  to  them,  as 
what  they  say  to  you,  that  helps  them,"  she  ex- 
plained in  her  gentle  persuasive  manner. 

The  Baroness,  with  sisterly  sympathy,  just  sits 
down  in  the  cell  and  listens.  Every  man  of  them 
knows  that  he  has  a  true  friend  in  her.  She  asks 
about  the  wife  and  children  at  home,  writes  their 
letters  for  them,  and  in  numberless  little  ways 
makes  their  interests  her  own,  until  before  they 
are  aware  of  it  she  is  in  possession  of  the  key  to 
their  hearts,  and  is  able  to  exercise  in  many  cases 
a  surprising  influence  for  good  upon  them. 

"  There  is  one  thing  you  may  be  sure  I 
never  do,"  she  said.  "  That  is,  allude  to  their 
crime.  I  have  been  in  the  company  of  some 
who  have  done  so — well-meaning  people  ;  but  it 
is   such   a   mistake  !     It   usually   hardens   their 

14 


210  BARONESS  VON  WREDE  OF  FINLAND 

heart  instantly.  Prisoners  who  consider  their 
sentences  just,  are  extremely  rare.  They  usually 
regard  themselves  as  grievously  wronged  ;  and 
they  are  not  open  to  argument  upon  the  subject. 
He  who  begins  by  assuming  even  their  guilt 
places  himself  immediately  at  a  great  disad- 
vantage. Even  such  an  expert  as  Dr.  Baedeker 
once  committed  this  blunder,  when  he  and  I 
were  visiting  one  of  our  prisons.  The  man  had 
committed  several  murders.  But  when  the 
doctor  inadvertently  made  allusion  in  his  con- 
versation to  this  crime,  I  could  see  the  features 
of  the  convict  change,  and  all  receptibility  to 
good  impressions  appeared  to  pass  away.  No  !  It 
is  not  thus  that  we  shall  awaken  the  conscience 
to  repentance  and  to  the  desire  for  a  better  life." 
The  Baroness  keeps  a  careful  chronicle  of  her 
humble  friends — in  her  own  heart.  When  they 
are  released  from  the  prison  and  depart  for  their 
own  homes  in  Helsingfors,  Wiborg,  or  Tavaste- 
hus,  or  in  the  depths  of  the  great  forests,  she 
does  not  forget  them.  An  important  and  most 
fruitful  part  of  her  ministry  lies  in  the  visitation 
of  her  scattered  sheep.  She  thus  perpetuates 
and  intensifies  the  friendship  formed  in  the  prison 
cells.  All  over  the  country  this  incessant  visita- 
tion calls  her.  The  State  railways  furnish  a 
splendid  testimonial  to  the  value  of  her  philan- 
thropical  labours  by  the  issue  to  her  of  a  free 


BARONESS  VON  WREDE  OF  FINLAND  211 

travel-ticket  on  all  the  State  lines,  in  order  that 
she  may  be  at  liberty  to  move  hither  and  thither 
at  her  discretion,  and  without  expense,  in  her  work. 

But  the  homes  of  which  she  is  in  search  not 
infrequently  lie  far  from  ordinary  routes  of 
travel ;  away  in  the  dense  interior  of  the  pine 
forests,  rem.ote  from  the  service  of  any  train,  and 
even  of  the  innumerable  steamers  that  ply  on 
the  intricate  maze  of  lakes  and  waterways  for 
which  Finland  is  so  justly  famous. 

Through  miles  of  forest-lands,  and  across  broad 
swamps,  in  which  the  stranger  venturing  alone 
would  be  easily  lost,  this  devoted  lady  tramps 
day  after  day.  She  takes  with  her  one  or  two 
attendants  to  carry  the  light  luggage,  and  sets 
out  with  a  brave  heart  to  do  on  foot  a  journey 
of  twenty,  thirty,  and  occasionally  even  forty 
miles,  to  seek  out  a  few  families  living  in  some  dis- 
tant settlement,  in  order  to  encourage  ex-convicts, 
somebody's  husbands,  brothers,  sons,  to  pursue 
the  path  of  virtue  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 

The  recent  increase  of  an  unpleasant  and 
dangerous  type  of  Socialism  in  her  country. 
Baroness  von  Wrede  thinks  to  be  an  unfavourable 
sign  of  the  times. 

"  Sometimes  Finns  return  from  the  United 
States  of  America,  or  other  foreign  lands,"  said 
she,  '  *  with  an  intense  dissatisfaction,  in  many 
cases,  with  our  existing  home  Government ;   and 


212  BARONESS  VON  WREDE  OF  FINLAND 

with  ideas  respecting  capital,  and  property,  and 
authority,  that  do  not  make  for  peace  in  the  land. 
And  alas  !  with  socialistic  views  are  allied  almost 
invariably  atheistic  tendencies  and  a  bitter 
hostility  to  religion.  In  the  prisons  I  am  always 
meeting  such.  And  I  can  do  so  little.  I  never 
argue.  But,"  she  continued  with  a  smile,  "  when 
they  get  a  letter  from  home  containing  bad  news, 
I  try  to  comfort  them,  and  point  them  to  One 
who  can  do  it  better  than  I  can." 

Miss  von  Wrede  wears  a  simple  little  brooch. 
It  is  a  silver  shield,  on  which  are  cut  in  Finnish 
the  words  "Grace  and  Peace."  Thus  the  first 
sight  of  her  tall  and  slender  form,  as  she  quietly 
enters  a  prisoner's  cell,  is  a  message  from  heaven 
to  him  who  sits  moodily  within.  Her  well-worn 
little  Bible  bears  upon  the  fly-leaf  an  inscription 
to  the  effect  that  it  was  given  to  her  by  Dr. 
Baedeker  on  June  3,  1887,  in  commemoration 
of  their  first  visit  together  to  the  Abo  prison. 

This  quiet,  unassuming  Christian  lady  is  known 
throughout  Finland,  and  affectionately  spoken 
of  as  Matilda  Wrede.  She  has  been  greatly  used 
of  God  to  turn  many  to  righteousness.  Her 
influence  in  Finnish  prisons  is  a  power  out- 
weighing in  value  many  laws,  in  securing  upright 
living  and  the  diminution  of  crime  in  the  country. 
May  God  spare  her  long  in  this  service.  "  I  was 
in  prison,  and  ye  visited  Me." 


CHAINS   AND    CROSSES    TAKEN    OFF 


XIX 

CHAINS    AND    CROSSES    TAKEN    OFF 

THE  leg-fetters  of  Russian  convicts  some- 
times shine  like  polished  silver  by  con- 
tinual wear.  But  these  chains  are  not  leg-fetters, 
nor  do  they  shine,  although  they  are  of  silver. 
They  are  dull  through  disuse.  There  is  a  small 
heap  of  them,  and  to  each  chain  is  attached  a 
little  crucifix  of  silver  or  of  gold. 

"  Orthodox  parents  place  the  chain  around  the 
neck  of  their  infant,  and  it  is  worn  throughout 
life  as  a  kind  of  charm,"  Mr.  Fetler  explained. 
*'  These  were  removed  on  the  conversion  of  their 
owners,  and  handed  to  me." 

A  curious  feature  of  the  Greek  Church  crucifix 
is  the  unevenly  placed  foot-rest,  which  indicates 
the  traditional  belief  of  the  Eastern  Church  that 
our  Lord  was  lame. 

Dostoieffsky,  the  Russian  novelist,  in  his  work 
The  Idiot,  has  drawn  a  picture  of  the  removal 
of  the  cross  from  the  neck  of  the  Russian — prince 
215 


2i6    CHAINS  AND  CROSSES  TAKEN  OFF 

and  beggar — that  will  help  us  to  appreciate  its 
place  in  the  life  of  the  people  : 

*'  I  went  out  for  a  stroll  through  the  town/' 
said  the  prince,  "  and  observed  a  drunken  soldier 
stepping  along  the  pavement.  He  was  all  tattered 
and  torn.     He  comes  up  to  me  and  says  : 

"  '  Buy  my  cross,  sir,  will  you  ?  You  shall 
have  it  for  fourpence  ;  it  is  real  silver.' 

''I  looked,  and  there  he  held  a  cross  just  taken 
off  his  own  neck,  evidently  but  a  pewter  thing, 
large,  and  made  after  some  antique  model.  I 
fished  out  fourpence  and  put  his  cross  on  my  own 
neck,  and  I  could  see  by  his  face  that  he  was  as 
satisfied  as  could  be,  and  thought  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  humbugging  a  foolish  gentleman.  Away 
he  went  to  drink  the  value  of  his  cross.  I  was 
greatly  struck  by  this,  but  I  thought,  *  No  !  I 
won't  judge  this  poor  drunken  wretch  in  a  hurry. 
God  knows  what  warped  and  perverted  ideas  he 
may  have  in  his  brain  !  ' 

"  '  Prince,"  cried  Par  fen,  *  have  you  got  that 
cross  which  you  bought  from  the  soldier  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes,  I  have.'     The  prince  stopped  again. 

"  '  Show  it  me  here,  will  you  ?  ' 

"  He  unhooked  his  cross  without  taking  the 
ribbon  off  his  neck. 

"  '  Give  it  to  me,'  said  Par  fen  *  I'll  wear  it, 
and  you  shall  wear  mine.     I'll  give  mine  to  you.' 


CHAINS   AND   CROSSES  TAKEN  OFF    217 


<(  < 


You  wish  to  exchange  crosses  ?  Very 
well,  Parfen.  If  that's  the  case  Fm  glad  enough. 
That  makes  us  brothers,  you  know.' 

"  The  prince  took  off  his  pewter  cross,  Parfen 
doffed  his  gold  one,  and  the  exchange  was 
made." 

The  neck-chains  and  crucifixes  were  part  of 
a  very  foreign-looking  assortment  of  gold  and 
silver  ware,  emptied  out  upon  my  table  by  Mr. 
Fetler. 

"  These  have  all  been  given  to  us  for  the  build- 
ing of  our  great  prayer  hall.  We  have  now  to 
move  from  place  to  place,  where  we  are  able, 
temporarily,  to  hire  a  hall,  and  no  place  is  large 
enough  to  hold  the  crowds  that  are  eager  to  hear. 
See  this  finger-hat,"  he  continued,  taking  up 
a  thimble  ;  "the  young  lady  who  gave  it  said  she 
would  buy  a  common  one  instead.  This  is  of 
silver  with  four  jewels,  emeralds  and  rubies." 

The  collection  was  of  considerable  interest. 
There  were  gold  and  silver  brooches  and  bracelets, 
silver  teaspoons,  civil  and  military  decorations 
in  cases,  medals  and  crosses.  An  assortment 
of  jewelled  gold  rings  of  designs  never  seen  in 
England,  two  plain  wedding-rings,  a  pair  of  gold- 
rimmed  spectacles,  a  quaintly  engraved  silver 
belt-buckle  from  Caucasus,  three  beautiful  silver 
drinking-cups,  and  a  silver  cigarette  case  and 


2i8    CHAINS  AND  CROSSES  TAKEN  OFF 

holder.     The  former  owners  of  these  latter  articles 
sent  the  following  note  : 

"  Praise  and  gratitude  to  our  Redeemer  and  Saviour 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  from  prisoners  who  were  in  the 
captivity  of  alcohol  and  tobacco.  We  lay  down  our 
arms  at  Thy  feet.  Bless,  Lord,  Thy  feeble  servants, 
the  preachers.  Fill  them  with  Thy  Holy  Spirit  for  Thy 
glory." 

These  Russian  converts,  hke  the  "  Old  Be- 
lievers "  of  Russia,  the  most  numerous  and  the 
most  ancient  dissenters  from  Greek  Orthodoxy 
in  the  empire,  are  opposed  to  the  use  of  vodka 
and  the  pipe  Another  convert,  in  laying  her 
simple  trinkets  and  ornaments  upon  God's  altar, 
sent  with  them  this  touching  message  in  her 
native  language  : 

"  Take  my  silver  and  my  gold, 
Not  a  mite  would  I  withhold. 
Take  my  love,  my  Lord,  I  pour 
At  Thy  feet  its  treasure-store. 

"  Dear  brother,  I  have  brought  these  for  the  building 
of  the  prayer  house,  because  I  do  not  want  any  more 
to  adorn  myself  with  these  things.  I  have  nothing  more 
of  my  own  (jewellery)  ;  but  what  I  had  I  have  brought 
from  my  whole  heart.  Let  Him  take  it  all.  It  is  '  the 
Lord's  offering.' — Exodus  xxxv.  24. 

"M.  D.  Yablakoff." 

A  further  generous  gift  was  a  parcel  of  about 
sixty  oil-paintings,  presented  by  the  widow  of  a 


CHAINS   AND   CROSSES  TAKEN  OFF    219 

well-known  Russian  artist,  M.  Yasnosky,  to  be 
sold  for  the  building  fund. 

The  substantial  success  of  Mr.  Fetler's 
work  is  evidenced  by  two  large  photographic 
groups.  The  first  is  a  group  of  about  two  hundred 
men  and  women,  with  Mr.  Fetler  in  the  fore- 
ground. These  are  mostly  members  of  the  Russian 
Baptist  Church,  which  numbers  nearly  three 
hundred  persons.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
it  was  not  permissible  for  a  Russian  to  leave  the 
Greek  Church  prior  to  the  manifesto  of  October 
1906,  it  will  be  seen  that  evangelism  has  made 
remarkable  progress. 

**  They  look  to  be  warmly  clad,"  observed 
a  friend.  Many  of  the  women  wore  woollen 
handkerchiefs  around  their  heads,  while  the  men 
were  in  great-coats  and  furs,  with  fur  caps. 

*'  The  winters  are  cold  in  St.  Petersburg," 
replied  Mr.  Fetler. 

The  second  group  is  even  more  striking  and 
gratifying.  There  are  about  forty  men,  with 
Mr.  Fetler  in  the  centre.  These  are  mostly 
deacons. 

"  And  every  deacon  is  a  preacher  in  Russia," 
said  the  pastor,  with  a  merry  laugh.  "  What- 
ever gift  they  possess  they  must  use  for  Christ, 
certainly." 

Preaching-classes  are  held  in  the  week  as  often 
as  possible,  and  on  the  Sunday  mornings  these 


220     CHAINS  AND   CROSSES  TAKEN  OFF 

men  scatter  throughout  the  city  and  far  along 
the  banks  of  the  Neva,  *'  to  preach  and  to  teach 
Jesus  Christ "  wherever  a  house  is  thrown  open 
to  them. 

Who  could  have  foreseen  that  in  three  or  four 
short  years  all  this  organized  and  far-spreading 
activity  would  have  been  the  outcome  of  Brother 
Fetler's  settlement  in  the  Russian  capital ! 

The  need  for  the  central  prayer  hall  is  great 
and  urgent.  By  permission  of  the  Tsar  a  site 
has  been  bought  on  Basil  Island,  in  the  north- 
west of  the  city.  The  building  will  cost  about 
£5,000,  and  the  Russians  are  anxious  that  it  may 
be  opened  in  time  for  next  winter's  work.  With 
magnificent  self-denial  they  have  contributed  to 
the  fund,  and  Christians  in  England  will  regard 
it  as  a  high  honour  to  be  permitted  to  render 
help.  There  never  was  such  an  opportunity  for 
the  Gospel  in  Russia  as  there  is  to-day. 


EVANGELICALISM    CHALLENGED    AND 
JUSTIFIED 


XX 

EVANGELICALISM  CHALLENGED  AND 


JUSTIFIED 


w 


years  the  Holy  Orthodox  Church  of 
Christ  has  been  known  in  Russia  ;  tens  of  milHons 
of  the  Russian  people,  together  with  their  Tsar, 
love  Christ  and  His  Holy  Church.  And  now  these 
new-comers  from  abroad  cry  aloud  that  the 
Orthodox  ones  do  not  believe  in  Christ,  and  offer 
to  show  them  Christ  and  to  instruct  them  in 
faith  in  Christ  !  Is  this  not  to  mock  the  Russian 
people  ?  " 

The  above  is  quoted  from  a  pamphlet,  "  The 
Sectants  of  Moscow,"  published  in  that  city 
early  in  the  year  1910.  The  pamphlet  begins  with 
the  text,  "  Ye  have  heard  that  antichrist  shall  come. 
Even  now  are  there  many  ajitichrists  "  (i  John 
ii.  18). 

The  challenge  to  Evangelicalism  contained  in 
the  above  quotation  is  not  unreasonable.  Evan- 
gelicahsm  must  show  cause  why  it  should  not  be 
223 


224  EVANGELICALISM 

branded  as  an  enemy,  as  antichrist,  and  promptly 
extirpated.  There  is  only  one  way  by  which  it 
can  do  this.  If  through  its  efforts  men  are  turned 
from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
unto  God,  it  will  have  in  the  most  conclusive 
manner  demonstrated  its  Divine  authority  and 
power.  So  declared  our  Lord,  the  Head  of  the 
Church.  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them. 
Grapes  are  not  gathered  from  thorns.  Thus  He 
answered  His  enemies,  when  on  earth.  They 
wickedly  said  of  His  ministry  :  "  This  is  of 
Beelzebub  !  "  He  condescended  to  reply  :  "7/ 
Satan  cast  out  Satan,how  shall  his  kingdom  stand  ?  " 
The  evil  one  does  not  fight  against  himself,  or 
uproot  sinful  ways  from  human  hearts  or  lives. 
But  his  rule  in  many  persons  has  undoubtedly 
been  broken  by  the  preaching  of  these  evan- 
gelists. His  slaves  have  been  brought  in  thou- 
sands out  of  the  power  of  darkness  into  the  King- 
dom of  the  dear  Son  of  God.  Does  Orthodoxy 
show  like  blessed  results  ?  For  by  this  divinely 
appointed  test  even  Orthodoxy,  though  a  thou- 
sand years  old,  must  continually  be  tried.  It 
must  not  rest  content  with  its  great  past  history. 
The  Lord  of  His  Church  looks  for  fruit  on  His 
trees  every  year  !  The  best  friends  of  the  Greek 
Church  in  Russia  earnestly  pray  that  she  may 
become  increasingly  a  living  spiritual  power  in 
the  land  ! 


CHALLENGED    AND    JUSTIFIED     225 

"  If  Fetler  had  gone  to  China  or  Japan  or  to 
the  Eskimos.  ...  In  London  there  are  thou- 
sands of  infidels:  why  does  not  Fetler  preach 
there?  .  .  ." 

Thus  the  hostile  press.  In  answer  :  Did  not 
the  Divine  Master  command  him  whom  he  healed, 
"  Go  home  to  thy  friends,  and  tell  them  what 
great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee"? 
Pastor  Fetler  early  felt  the  need  of  China  for  the 
Gospel ;  and  had  not  the  Divine  call  to  his  own 
native  land  come  with  irresistible  power  he  would 
assuredly  have  gone  to  China,  as  his  critic  now 
suggests.  In  London,  too,  during  his  few  years* 
residence  in  that  city,  the  young  student  laboured 
day  and  night  in  the  Gospel — he  has  "preached 
there." 

But  the  tremendous  need  of  his  own  much- 
loved  homeland  he  and  his  brother  evangelists 
cannot  forget.  Many  of  its  millions  are  sunk  in 
sin,  ignorant  of  the  Gospel,  without  hope,  with 
but  few  to  really  care  for  their  souls.  Therefore 
to  others  is  left  the  care  of  the  Eskimos  and  the 
Japanese,  and,  as  in  our  Lord's  parable,  they 
"call  their  friends  and  neighbours  together" 
to  hear  the  glad  message  of  Redemption  and  the 
love  of  God  for  the  perishing. 

The  Russian  people  may  well  rejoice  that  the 
Holy  Scriptures  have  for  many  generations  been 
read  in   the   churches   of  their  land  ;    that   the 

15 


226  EVANGELICALISM 

name  of  Christ  is  everywhere  revered  ;  that  the 
voice  of  prayer  rises  daily  from  milHons  of  persons 
within  her  borders.  Herein  the  nation  has  great 
light  and  much  responsibility. 

Unlike  other  foreign  lands  wherein  the  evangel 
is  something  of  an  exotic,  a  foreign  import,  in 
Russia  the  Gospel  is  indigenous.     The  Bible  is 
a  revered  book,  albeit  largely  unread  by   the 
people.     The  ancient  state  religion  is  Christianity. 
The  form   of  godliness   is   everywhere  ostenta- 
tiously  present.     The   people   are   devout,   too, 
with   an   Oriental   and   fanatical   fervour.    But 
even  more  striking  is  the  fact  that  the  Gospel 
preachers  who  have  of  late  years  arisen  are  of 
Russian  blood,  with  Russian  ideals  and  idiosyn- 
crasies and  sympathies,  proud  of  their  land,  am- 
bitious of  its  honour  and  highest  welfare,  and 
loyal  to  its  Tsar.     They   do   not   ask,   "  What 
does  England  say  ?     They  are  not  '  foreigners.'  " 
They  ask,  '*  What  say  the  Scriptures  ?  "     And 
when  they  find  in   Bible  teaching  and  precept 
that  they  are  in  accord  with  England  or  Germany 
or  any  other  foreign  country,  then  so  much  the 
better  for  that  other  land.     This  is  just  what 
has  happened.     Searching  for  Divine  grace  and 
holiness  in  the  Word,  they  readily  found  what 
they  sought   for,   and  then   they  learned   that 
other  people  had  also  discovered  the  same  good 
things,  of  whom  many  thousands  were  citizens 


CHALLENGED    AND    JUSTIFIED    227 

of  the  United  Kingdom.  There  is  consequently 
great  joy  with  them  and  with  us. 

The  attitude  of  the  Russian  State  Church 
towards  these  young  and  hopeful  "  sectant " 
communities  will  be  watched  in  all  Protestant 
lands  with  keen  interest.  Orthodoxy  is  earnestly 
considering  the  problem.  Only  a  few  months 
ago  another  Conference  was  held  in  the  city  of 
Minsk,  "  to  consider  the  best  means  of  opposing 
the  Baptists  and  the  Catholics,  who  are  making 
many  converts,"  so  the  report  ran,  "  from  the 
Orthodox  Church."  In  the  old  days  when  Pobie- 
donostzeff  shaped  the  Russian  religious  policy 
as  Ober-Procurator  of  the  Most  Holy  Governing 
Synod,  that  policy  was  infamously  cruel;  and 
the  black  record  of  the  tyrant  will  remain  for  ever 
against  him  on  the  page  of  history,  placing  him 
among  the  worst  of  the  pagan  or  Roman  Catholic 
persecutors. 

But  the  empire  has  arisen  to  better  and  nobler 
days.  The  Lord  Emperor  is  a  tolerant  monarch, 
and  his  minister,  the  Ober-Procurator  of  the 
Synod,  M.  Lukianoff ,  is  a  humane  and  enlightened 
man.  Proof  of  this  has  just  been  given  in  the 
reply  of  the  Synod  to  the  petition  of  the  "  Union 
of  the  Russian  People"  that  the  "  sectants  " 
should  be  immediately  suppressed  and  their 
leaders  exiled  to  Siberia.  For  this  reply  M. 
Lukianoff  and  the  St.  Petersburg  Metropolitan 


228  EVANGELICALISM 

Antonius  were  mainly  responsible.  In  effect 
they  said,  "  If  these  erring  sheep  are  to  be  restored 
to  the  true  fold,  it  must  be,  not  by  cruelty,  but 
by  reason  and  patience." 

The  dangers  menacing  Evangelicalism  to-day 
are  principally  three.  They  lie  not  so  much  in 
the  Tsar's  civil  government  as  (i)  in  the  present 
lack  of  organization  and  co-operation  among 
these  earnest  and  faithful,  but  uninstructed  and 
widely-scattered  Churches.  The  hearty  sympathy  | 
and  tolerant  charity  of  Christians  of  all  denomina- 
tions here  in  Great  Britain  and  in  America,  and 
on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  a  genuine  interest 
in  their  welfare  and  in  the  progress  of  the  work 
of  God  in  Russia,  will  greatly  encourage  and 
strengthen  the  hands  of  our  Russian  brethren 
in  their  efforts  to  shape  an  internal  poHty. 
And  as  the  years  pass,  they  will  bring  by  the 
Divine  blessing,  as  the  fruits  of  maturer  experi- 
ence, helpful  organization,  a  ministry  of  evan- 
gelists and  pastors  "learned  in  the  Scriptures 
and  able  to  teach  others  also,"  an  established  - 
and  judicious  periodical  and  other  literature,  and  | 
many  other  steadying  and  unifying  advantages. 

(2)  Of  the  difficulties   arising  from   the  igno- 
rance, prejudices,  and  officiousness  of  some  pro- 
vincial authorities  a  word  or  two  may  be  said.      1 
Distances  between  the  centres  are  so  vast  that 
consistent  government,  as  we  have  it,  is  practically 


CHALLENGED    AND    JUSTIFIED    229 

unknown.     Every  provincial  governor  is  an  ab- 
solute monarch  in  many  details  of  his  admini- 
stration,  and   even    the    tchinovniks    of    much 
lower  rank  wield  a  measure  of  despotic  authority 
that  to  us  of  the  Western  nations,  who  are  ruled 
"by  laws"   and  not  "by  men,"   appears  un- 
reasonable and  impolitic.     When,  therefore,  you 
find  a  governor  of  one  city  forbidding  a  public 
lecture  on  Halley's  comet,  lest  presumably  there 
should  be  set  forth  some  doctrine  subtly  inimical 
to  the  interests  of  the  autocracy  (the  Governor 
of  Tula  in  March  last),  another  governor  refusing 
to  authorize  a  city  football  league  for  the  same 
patriotic   reason   (the   Governor   of   Moscow   in 
December  1909),  and  a  third  forbidding  mention 
of  the  Government  vodka  monopoly  in  an  Anti- 
alcoholic  Congress  (in  St.  Petersburg  in  January 
last),  it  will  be  at  once  seen  that  "  sectants  " 
must  walk  warily.     On  the  other  hand  it  will  be 
remembered  that  in  September  1909  permission 
was  readily   accorded  by  the   Governor   of  St. 
Petersburg  to  the  body  known  as  * '  Evangelical 
Christians  "  to  hold  their  first  Conference  in  the 
city.     This  is  one  of  many  similar  instances  of 
the  tolerance  and  confidence  shown  of  late  by 
the  "  powers  that  be  "  to  non-orthodox  bodies. 

(3)  The  menaces  of  the  "  Union  of  the  Russian 
People  "  constitute  the  most  serious  peril  of  the 
hour.     The  street  mob   is   the  bloody  hand  of 


230  EVANGELICALISM 

this  ubiquitous  organisation.  The  body,  active 
and  alert,  is  a  great  mass  of  public  opinion  all 
over  the  Empire  that  despises  and  dreads  our 
Western  ideas  of  government  and  of  liberty  ; 
that  is  fostered  by  a  plausible  pride  of  race  and 
patriotism  ;  that  deplores  as  weakness  and  folly 
the  recent  departures  from  hereditary  autocracy 
in  imitation  of  the  chaotic  methods  of  Western 
lands  ;  and  that  counsels  a  bold  and  swift  with- 
drawal of  all  concessions  to  the  "  foreign  and 
anti-Russian  spirit."  The  controlling  hrain  of 
the  "  Union  of  the  Russian  People "  is  the 
Church.  Jealous  of  her  ancient  monopolies,  and 
hitherto  secure  in  the  enjoyment  of  exclusive 
spiritual  authority  in  the  realm,  she  has  been 
awakened  from  her  slumbers  by  the  voices  of 
intruders. 

As  in  the  case  of  most  persons  suddenly 
awakened,  the  feeling  of  alarm  is  ridiculously 
greater  than  there  is  any  cause  for.  The  voices  are 
those  of  friends  and  not  of  foes.  Their  j  oyous  tone 
presages  a  brighter  day  for  Russia  and  a  nobler 
empire  for  the  Tsar.  The  Orthodox  Church 
herself  will  be  revived  and  renewed,  will  increase 
her  strength  and  her  usefulness  by  the  blessing 
of  God  through  this  awakening  of  the  people  to 
the  necessity  and  the  glories  of  scriptural  and 
spiritual  religion.  They  are  enemies  of  the  Ortho- 
dox Church,  of  the  Tsar,  and  of  Holy  Russia, 


CHALLENGED    AND    JUSTIFIED    231 

who  utter  the  fanatical  cry,  "  This  movement 
is  of  Western  Europe,  therefore  we  must  put  it 
down  !  "  It  is  not  of  the  west,  nor  of  the  north, 
nor  of  the  south.  It  is  from  above  !  It  is  of  God  ! 
And  woe  be  to  him  who  dares  to  hinder  it ! 
In  the  eighteenth  century  our  English  Church  was 
asleep,  and  our  people  were  sunk  in  drunkenness 
and  vice.  Then  arose  Whitefield,  and  Ingham, 
and  the  Wesleys,  upon  whom  the  Spirit  of  God 
rested.  They  opened  the  Holy  Word  and  pleaded 
with  our  people  to  repent  of  their  sins  and  turn 
to  God.  Their  evangelism  was  irregular  ;  and 
many  Churchmen  denounced  it.  But  God  made 
it  a  blessing  to  the  people,  and  to  the  English 
Church  also.  Parish  churches  were  opened  every- 
where for  evening  preaching  of  the  Gospel— an 
unheard-of  innovation.  And  with  the  flaming 
torch  of  truth  and  grace,  a  mighty  fire  of  spiritual 
enthusiasm  was  kindled  in  the  land,  by  the  light 
of  which  our  nation  has  made  astonishing  ad- 
vances on  the  upward  path. 

We  are  not  without  signs  that  the  Orthodox 
Church  has  already  begun  to  shake  herself  from 
the  dust,  and  to  put  on  her  beautiful  garments 
of  spirituality,  and  truth,  and  charity.  It  is 
certainly  not  by  persecutions,  nor  even  by  bitter 
controversies  that  blessing  will  come  to  either 
side.  It  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  evan- 
gelists continue  steadfastly  to  preach  the  supreme 


232  EVANGELICALISM 

necessity  for  individual  repentance  of  sin  and 
personal  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
only  way  of  salvation  for  all  men  everywhere ; 
and  multitudes  hearing  receive  the  Divine  mes- 
sage and  go  on  their  way  rejoicing. 

Western  Christendom,  looking  eastward  to- 
wards the  land  of  the  morning  light,  fervently 
prays,  "  God  bless  Russia,  her  Tsar,  and  her 
peoples  !  " 


INDEX 


Abo,  208 

Alupka,  184 

American  Church  in  Peters- 
burg, 39 

Anarchism,  187 

Antichrist.  Mr.  Fetler  as,  223 

Antonius,  Metropolitan,  53, 
228 

Apocrypha,  the,  123 

Arabic  parable,  an,  177 

Arcturus  s.s.,  3 

Armenians,     69,     121,     187, 

193 
Arndt,  Pastor  F.,  17,  40 
Astrakhanka,  21 
Atheism,   19,  69,  82,  91,  96, 

179,  212 
Azov,  Sea  of,  183,  186 

Baedeker,  Dr.  F.  W.,  17,  21, 
38,  193,  202,  207,  210,  212 

Baku,  194,  202 

Balachin,  Pastor,  186 

Banishment,  $j,  184 

Baptist,  John  the,  62,  159 

Baptists,  40,  47,  72,  81,  84, 
109,  124,  126,  14s,  149, 
156,  162,  189,  193,  227 

Beards,  bushy,  120 

Berdajinsk,  187 

Bible,  authority  of  the,  134 


Bible    printing   and    circula- 
tion, 123,  189 
reading  the,  104,   139, 
150,    157,    162,    191, 
201,  225, 
School,  33,  219 
Bible    Society,    British    and 

Foreign,  123,  204 
"Black  Hundred,"  the,  116, 

187,  227,  229 
Black  Sea,  183,  187,  190 
Bombs,  10,  51,  58,  6$ 
Booth,  General.     See  Salva- 
tion Army 
Bougoloboff,   Orthodox  mis- 
sionary, 82 
Bulgakoff,  Professor,  97 
Burt,  Bishop,  42 

Canterbury   of    Russia,    the, 

120 
Catacombs  of  Kiefif,  174 
Catharineschoff,  90 
Cattegat,  the,  3 
Caucasia,  49,   125,   157,   189, 

193.  194,  217 
Censor,  the,  200 
Chinese,  16,  225 
Churches,   buildings,  71,   78, 

102,  143.  144,  188,217,  220 
Clifford,  Dr.,  71 

233 


234 


INDEX 


Closing  of  Gospel  halls,  109, 

125,  148 
College  (Training)  for  pastors, 

21,  124 
Colporteurs,  204 
Congregationalists,  39 
Conscience,  liberty  of,  41,  67. 

71,73,82,95,  103,  179.219 
Constantine,     Grand     Duke, 

31,  200,  201 
Conversions,  27,   31,   70,  85, 

95.  96.  97.   179.   198.  218. 

224,  232 
Copenhagen,  4 
Cossacks,    20,   48,    106,    186, 

188 
Crimea,  184,  186 
Crosses  and  crucifixes,  2 1 5 
Cruze,  Baroness  von,  84 

Deacon,  Mr.  H.,  104 
Deacons,  Baptist,  185,  219 

Orthodox,  104 
Denmark,  3 
Dickens,  Charles,  8 
Dnion,  Dr.,  143,  156 
Dmitry  of  the  Don,  173 
Dnieper,  the  river,  119 
Dostoieffsky,  215 
Droshkies,  10,  16,  168,  180 
Drummond,  Professor,  98 
Dukhobortzy,  161 
Duma,  the  City,  16,  17,  47  et 

seq. 
the  States,  20,  22,  41, 

60,  67  et  seq.,  82,  97 
Dumbadse,  tyranny  of  Gov- 
ernor, 184 
Dvorniks,  11,  146 


Easter  Manifesto  {1905),  37, 
41.67.69,95,  103,  121,  149 

Easter  Week,  17,  47 

Elizabetpol,  157 

Elsinore,  3 

England,  59,  6Z,  70,  84,  97, 
122,  143,  192 

Episcopalians,  Anglican,    39, 

72,  73.  231 

Methodist,  42 
Esthonians.  40,  95 
"  Evangelical  Christians,"  the, 
20,  39.  47,  81,  84,  149,  229 
Evangelists,  188,  219,  226. 231 
Ewing,  Rev.  J.  W.,  172 

Fables,  61 

Falsterbo  Lighthouse,  4 
Favourite  Hymns,  81,  198 
Ferhmann,  Pastor  H.,  43 
Fetler,  Rev.  W.,  3,  11,  18,  25 
et  seq.,  40,  42,  68,  78,  81  et 
seq.,   96,    107,    129  et  seq., 
172,  191,  199,  203,  217,  225 
Finland,  7,  122,  207  et  seq. 
Floggings,  147,  161 
Foreign  Missions,  17,  50 

Religions,  69,  96,  121 
Forests,  7,  130,  151,  169,  210, 

211 
Foundlings,  Homes  for,  94 
Fiillbrandt,  Pastor  A.,  188 

Gaylord,  Mr.  F.,  43 
German  Baptists,  17,  39,  47, 

188,  189 
Gladstone,  Mr.  W.  E.,  131 
Golden    Apostles    and    brass 

Judas,  173 


INDEX 


235 


Golden  calf ,  176,  179 

Golden  guest-room,  60 

Goloshes,  II,  54,  105 

Gostinnoi  Dvor,  90 

Gothland,  5 

Governor  (Vice-)  of  Peters- 
burg, 48,  52  et  seq.,  229 

Greek  Church.  See  Ortho- 
dox Church 

Greeks,  187 

Gytha,  115 

Halls,  public,  30,  37,  38,  47, 
77,  7B.  107,  124,  143  et  seq., 
190,  217 

Hamburg,  84 

Hamlet,  3 

Hango,  3,  6,  7,  207 

Harold,  King,  115 

Helsingfors,  6,  210 

Henry  VHI.,  115 

Hercules,  169 

Holy  pictures.     See  Ikons 

Homer,  184 

Hymns.     See  Singing. 

Hyvinka,  7 

"  Iberian   Mother,"  the,  171, 

172 
Icebreaker,  the,  6 
Ice  ramparts,  106 
Ikonostas,  171 
Ikons,   19,  81,  85,    114,   138, 

145,  167  et  seq. 
Imatra  Rapids,  the,  8 
Immorality,  94 
Imprisonments  and  fines,  148, 

156,  161,  184,  189,  191 
Income,  a  good,  1 10 


Interior,  the  Ministry  of  the, 

50,  124,  147,  199 
Isvostchik    (droshky-driver), 

II 
Ivan  Veliki  Tower,  the,  102 

Jews,  the,  69,  95,   105,   187, 

188 
John  the  Sufferer,  175 
Joy  fill  News,  Russian,  202 

Kamensky,  President,  20 
Kargel,  Pastor,  17,  18,  39 
Kazan  Cathedral  of,  18,  171 
Kazan,  our  Lady  of,  171 
Kean,  Rev.  Dr.,  204 
Key,  Rev.  James,  39 
Kieff,  119  et  seq.,  156,  174 
Korff,  Count,  37 
Kremlin,    the   Moscow,    102, 

ii3>  115 
Krivenko,  Philip,  160 
Kroker,  Pastor,  28 

Lanin,  E.  B.,  155 

Legends  of  saints,  176,  197 

Letts,  27,  40,  42,  47,  95,  107, 

202 
Levitation  and  flight,  161 
Liberty,  religious.     See  Con- 
science 
Lieven,  Princess,  32,  38;  198 
Lisogorsky,M.     5^^  Governor 
Lloyd-George,  Mr.  D.,  73 
London,  loi,  225 
London,  Bishop  of,  39 
Lord's  Supper,  the,  112,  163 
Lutherans,   the,    21,   43,   69, 
96,   121.  193 


236 


INDEX 


Malmo,  4 

Malyovantzi,  the,  156  et  seq. 
Marines,  8 

Marriage,  and    "  Free    Uni- 
ons," 92,  93,  163,  172 
Massacre,  60 
Mazajeff,  M.,   202 
Meetings,  Gospel,  2$  et  seq., 
43,  79  et  seq.,  97,  loj    105, 
145,  147,  190 
Melitopol,  186 
Mennonites,  183 
Methodists,  42,  231 
Meyer,  Rev.  F.  B.,  8 
Mildmay  Mission  to  Jews,  188 
Military,  the,  9,  79,  105 
Miyak,  the,  43,  44 
Molokani,  20 
Monasteries,    22,     119,     120, 

173,  174,  175 
Monks,  16,  61 

underground,  175 
Monoliths,  59,  172 
"  Moofti,  moofti !  "   53 
Morskaja,  Great,  11,  z?)<  3^ 
Moscow,  16,  97,    loi   et  seq., 
138,  171,  172,  197,  220,  229 
Moscow,  bishops  of  : 
Jona,  112,  116 
Nikon,  115 
Peter,  112,  115 
Philip,  113,  116 
Vladimir,  no,  112 
Moujiks  (peasants),   16,   in, 
124,    131,    144,    159,    168, 
170,  176,  180,  184,  188 
Mouravieff,  116,  120,  179 
Miiller,  George,  38 
Mystics,  156,  161 


Napoleon  I.,    102,    108,    116 
Neva,  the  river,   10,   15,  78, 

95,  220 
Nevsky  Prospect,  16,  22,  89, 

171 
Nicolay,  Baron,  96 
Nijni  Novgorod,  147,  169 
Nobel,  Hall  of,  yy  et  seq. 
Novgorod,  168 

Obedience    to    governments, 

13s 

Odessa,  187 

Odinsoff,  evangelist,  28 

Oil  paintings,  a  gift  of,  218 

Oland,  5 

"  Old  Believers,"  67,  143,  218 

Olivet,  16 

Oncken,  Mr.  W.  S.,  192 

Open-air  meetings,  yT, 

Orthodox  Church,  41,  43,  52, 
61,  67,  69,  70,  82,  104,  108, 
120,  121,  122,  126,  148, 
155,  170,  200,  223,  224,  225. 
230,  231, 

Parliament,   Russian,  60,  67 

et  seq.     See  Duma,  States 
Paschkoff,  Colonel,  37,  39.  81, 

84,  198,  199 
Passports,  9,  49,  146 
Pavloff,  Pastor  V.,  189,  191. 

192,  202 
Pekherskoe  Lavra,  120 
Perk,  Pastor  P.,  108,  183 
Perm,  179 
Permission,  asking,  47,  50,  79, 

146,  149,  150 


INDEX 


237 


Perun,  the  heathen  god,  120, 

170 
Peter  the  Apostle,  15,  61,  174 
Peter  the  Great.     See  Tsar 
Petershourgski  Listok,  the,  80 
Petitions,  47,  49,  146,  151,227 
Picnickers  arrested,  190 
Pilgrims,  mendicant,  120,  133, 

158 
Plehve,  M.  de,  79,  200 
Pobiedonostzeff,  M.,  70,  125, 

176,  178,  227 
Poems,   Original  and   Trans- 
lated, 199 
Pogrom,  Anti- Jewish,  189 
Poland,  and  Poles,  39,  69,  95, 

187 
Police,  the,  48,  71,  81,   126, 

14s,  146,  151,  190 
Popes,   Russian,    16,  45,   68, 

103,  161,  172,  202 
Poushkin,  85 
Prayer,  requests  for,  32 

,,      scenes,  19,  29,  85,  158, 
164,  177 
Printing,  an  invention  of  the 

devil,  138 
Procession    of    "  Iberian 

Mother,"   173 
ProkhanoJi,  M.  Ivan,  17,  199, 

203 
Proselytism,  41,  70,  83,  96 
Psalm  xlvi.,  173 
Publications,     Gospel,     138, 

150,  202,  203,  228 

RadclifEe,  Mr.  R.,  38 
Radstock,  Lord,  38,  198 
Red  Square,  Moscow,  1 1 5 


Reflections      of     a     Russian 

Statesman,  176 
Registration,  and  licenses  to 

preach,  109,  123,   148 
Relics,  61,  176,  179 
Religious  orgies,  163 
Religious  tests,  j^ 
Repin,  132 
Revolutionaries,    10,    53,   79, 

82,  91,  105,  187 
Roman  Catholics,  67,  68,  69, 

y2,  95,  121,  159,  161,  227 
Rostov  on  Don,  183 
Rouse,  Miss  Ruth,  97 
Russkoe    Zemlya,    the,     109, 

113,  116 

St.  Alexander  Nevsky,  22 
,,   Andrew,  119 
,,  Anthony,  120 
,,  Casian,  170 
,,  Elias,  170 
,,  George's  Hall,  60 
,,   lona,  113,  116 
,,   Isaac's  Cathedral,  57 
„  Nicholas,  169,  171 
,,  Philip,  113,  116,  179 
,,  Sergius,  173,  174 
,,  Stephen  of  Perm,  179 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  61 
Sale  of  Work,  17,  50 
"  Salvation  Army,"  121,  140 
"  Scotland  Yard,"  48 
Secret  Meetings,  1 5 1 
"Sectants,"  53.  67,  83,  no. 
123,  125,  143.  155.  223,227 
Serfs,  Emancipation  of,  62 
Shrines,  19,  108,  120,  168 
Siberia,  22,  227 


238 


INDEX 


Simmonds,  Rev.  G.  A.,  42 

Singing,  28,  31,   51,  84,   112, 

126,  190,  204 
Skaldin,      evangelist,       189, 

191 
Slavonic  Scriptures,  19,  104, 

204 
Smergashord,  8,  207 
Smith,  Mr.  "Gipsy,"  29 
Social  Democrats,  98,  211 
Social  problems,  139 
Sparrow  Hills,  the,  102 
Spies,  146 

Spurgeon,  Rev.  C.  H.,  26 
"  Stepniak,"  155 
Stokes,  Mr.  James,  43 
Stolypin,  M.,  58,  148 
Stuart  kings,  the,  j-i, 
Students,  10,  89  et  seq. 
Stundists,  125,  144,  149,  150. 

See  Sectants 
Suicide,  prevalence  of,  95 
Sunday  Schools,   17,  28,  38, 

47,  106 
SutaiefE,  the  peasant,  145 
Svensson,  Mr.  J.,  103 
Sweden  and  Swedes,  4,  40 
Swedish  Evangelization  Com- 
mittee, 103 
Symbolism,  religious,  177 
Synod,  the  Most  Holy,  43,  70, 

121,  147,  150,  197,  204,  227 

Taganrog.  183 
Tagantzeff,  Professor,  20 
Tarajantz,  Mr.  P.,  193,  202 
Tartars,  69,  112,  187,  194 
Taurida  Province,  186 
Tchertkoff,  Madame,  38 


Tchinovniks,  10,  50,  54,  58, 

79,  106,  144,  149,  185,  204 
Tea-drinking,  54,  68,  163 
Terijoki,  9 

Theatres,  78,  105,  106,  186 
Tiflis,  189,  193 
Tolstoy,  Count  L.,  84,  94,  129 

et  seq.,  145 
"  Tongues,"  gift  of,  164 
Tooth,  a  holy,  61 
Tregmann,  M.  R.  von,  20 
Trepofif,  M.,  79 
Troitzky  Monastery,  173 
Tsar  Alexander  I.,  59 

,,     Alexander  II.,  62,  6t„ 
197 

,,     Alexander  III.,  150 

,,     Alexis,  115 

,,     Feodor,  115 

,,  Ivan  the  Terrible,  115, 
179 

,,     Nicholas  I.,  169 

,,  Nicholas  II.  (the  pre- 
sent), 60,  64,  70,  84, 
121,  169,  185,  227,  232 

,,     Peter  the  Great,  15,  17, 
63,  113,  171 
Tsaritza,  the  present,  67, 

Catherine  II.,  59 
Tschekmareff,  158 
Tula,  130,  145.  229 
Turks,  187 

Uexkull,  Baron,  53,  145 
Ukases,  Imperial,  62,  204 
Uniforms,  17.  50,  53,  89,  90, 

122, 185 
United  States  of  America,  5. 

43.  68,  84 


INDEX 


239 


Universities,  89  et  seq.,  106 
Ural  Mountains,  179,  189 
Urania,  ss.,  207 

Valkeasaari,  9 

Vassily  Island,  38 

Versailles,  50 

Vertitzky,  M.  J.,  105 

Viborgskaja,  2,7>  77 

Visions,  157,  160 

Vladimir  (Metropolitan),  no, 

112 
Vladimir    Monomachus,   62, 

115.  119 
Vodka,  32,  145,  218,  229 
Vyatka,  147 

Wallace,   Sir   D.   Mackenzie, 

155 
War,  the  Russo-Japanese,  78 


Wasa,  5,  208 

Wiborg,  8,  210 

William  III.,  15 

Winter  Palace,  the,  $7  et  seq. 

Women  students,  92  et  seq., 
106 

World,  end  of  the,  162 

World  Student  Christian  Fe- 
deration, 97 

World  Y.M.C.A.  Alliance,  44 

Wrede,  Baroness  M.  von,  207 
et  seq. 

Yalta,  184 

"  Yassnaya  Poliana,"  130 

Yatigorsk,  186 

Y.M.C.A.  in  Petersburg,  43 

ZacharofiE,  Mr.  Z.  F.,  20 


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